Escape Velocity
by Geekasauruz
Summary: A time-skipping accident strands Barry Allen and his nemesis Eobard Thawn in the past; specifically 15th Century Japan, which is rife with chaos and warring clans. Barry is saved from outlaws by an early metahuman named Mineko Kaze, a disciple of a monastery dedicated to the usage of magic to combat evil.
1. One

**_Chapter One: Stuck in the Past_**

Outside, there was that predawn kind of clarity, where the momentum of living had not quite captured the day. The air was not filled with conversation or thought bubbles or laughter or sidelong glances. Everyone was sleeping, all of their ideas and hopes and hidden agendas entangled within the refines of their own homes.

Many people avoided this bleak first hour of the working day, during which, everyone's still sluggish senses and body made every chore a penance. This made it even easier to miss the slight rustling of grass despite the lack of wind, and the footprints that seemingly appeared out of nowhere around muddy trails.

To the rest of the world such speed was impossible to catch even a glimpse of, but to Flash, there was nothing he could miss. He saw every building that passed, every obstacle in his way... and the yellow suited villain racing ahead of him. The Speed Force vibrated through Barry's body like a living entity pushing him forward. Lightening strikes flashed around him, zapping his skin but not leaving a single mark. These only became more numerous the faster he went.

Central City whirled around him until it was nothing but blurs of black and grey, and then every other country in the world did the same as he reached them. Colours mixed together in a jumble of shades until it felt like he was emerged in shadow. He was reaching the speed of light. Just a little faster and he'd be sent plummeting into the very fabric of time.

Barry felt himself slow down, body immediately rejecting the idea. He knew about the dangers of time travel, one slight splinter in the past could have serious repercussions for the future. He could come back to find Central City in ruins, or the speed force altered. It could even cause the death of someone important... like Superman or Wonder Woman. Heroes that were their only defence against major threats.

Barry calculated every possible outcome, scavenging his brain for a solution. There was none. He would've sworn under his breath if he could've. No, he would've sworn at the top of his lungs. If he could've. Even if air could vibrate in its usual manner at the speed at which he currently ran, he'd outrun the sound vibrations so he wouldn't actually even hear what he said...therefore defeating the purpose of swearing to one's self.

The figure in front of him was nothing but a ghost, violently vibrating and shaking as it tore through space-time. Barry urged himself to go faster, straining every muscle until his body erupted in cramps. Once he gained that extra amount of speed, he pounced onto the figure he was tailing.

Space imploded as the two men tumbled, skidding for hundreds of thousands of miles. All of this happened in less than a second...and they grinded to a halt in a crowded town plaza somewhere in Italy.

"What the hell are you doing?! You're insane!" He growled.

Thawne rose to his feet, snarling. "I lost everything because of you. I'm going to show you how that feels."

As soon as Thawne twitched, Barry followed. The world around them was once again rendered into a mess of incomprehensible lines, lights and shapes as they shot through the centre of existence once more.

Thawne was crazy. Delusional. He was willing to tamper with time itself just to exact some kind of twisted revenge on the Flash...on Barry Allen. Revenge for something he'd yet to do, nonetheless.

Barry managed to wrap a hand around Thawne's arm and pulled him out of the path they had tunnelled through time. The rift closed almost immediately and the two were sent hurtling across the ground at an incredible speed.

Everything within his sights began to jumble, including Thawne. He felt his body being sent crashing through a whole layer of trees, snapping the thick bark in half like they were merely twigs. The speed force protected him from any real danger until he spiralled to a halt, laying on his back and staring at the stars that dotted the night.

Wait... stars? Flash jumped to his feet, eyes wide and searching for any sign of Thawne. There wasn't even a smudge of yellow within his sights. Barry's whole posture slumped. He could probably swear to himself now if he wanted... but he decided instead to check his surroundings.

Small houses littered most of the area to his right, looking a little too structurely unsafe for his liking, and on his left were slabs of wood fused together to create a market. The people around him stared in disbelief, eyeing up his tight costume and shuffling away. Being stuck in a sea of people wearing multiple layers of loose material, he could already see the problem. He had gone a little further back in time then he cared for.

The thing that brought him to realisation was the temple that stood just a short distance away. Japan. He knew that for certain now, but what era?

"Well...this just dandy." Flash sighed as he felt the sudden surge of energy. Barry surmised that since Thawne was the one time jumping and he was just freeloading in his slipstream, the Reverse-Flash's connection to the speed force was temporarily weakened from the extreme speeds needed to break time itself.

In more simple terms he was stuck in this period until the link regenerated, and fortunately for Barry, that gave him a chance to prevent Thawne from damaging the timestream further.

Barry turned his head to a nearby villager. He was an older man, staring frozen as he gripped a bucket of water. "Uh... excuse me... What year is it?"

The man muttered to himself, in Japanese. Barry thought that he said something along the lines of 'Rikai dekimasen', but what that was suppose to mean was lost on him.

Barry groaned. "It was worth a try." He sent his eyes to the horizon once more, trying to spot anything that could help him track down Thawne. He knew it was a fruitless gesture. Thawne had the whole world to hide in until he recovered. He may not be able to time travel, but he could still break the laws of physics.

Not only was his psychotic nemesis hellbent on screwing up everything, but Barry was in the same position. Anything he did, including showing up in a public space right now and talking to that guy, could harbour potentially disastrous consequences for the future. He wasn't going to forget that time he tried to save his mom...

Barry flicked over a hundred miles in an attosecond, and appeared on the edges of a forest. He leant onto one of the many tall trees and rubbed his chin. He'd have to fit in if he wanted to not screw stuff up. It would be easier if he went over to England or America...if either existed whenever this was. Even then, language had changed a hell of a lot in the last two hundred years... Barry knew that he needed to think first, run later. It didn't look like he'd have the opportunity though.

Right within his line of sight, Barry spotted at least several men with swords strapped to their hips. They had long dark hair, pulled back into a bun, and clothing just as airy as the villagers. A girl stood in front of them, wearing a thinly quilted lavender robe with a heavy brocade sash. Over it was a full, plum-coloured, satin coat embroidered with crimson maple leaves. It's heavy, trailing sleeves hung low against her sides, so long that they brushed against her thighs.

There was nothing to show that this woman was of any threat, in fact, she appeared like she hadn't intended on leaving the house at all. The leader, an incredibly large man, yelled something at her but Barry couldn't even begin to decipher it... He now regretted not taking that Japanese class back in High School.

None of them were moving a muscle, but the darkening expression on the leaders face ensured that it wouldn't stay this way for long.

The girl merely stared at him, hands in the air, completely unarmed. The leader waved his men out of the way. One of them backed straight into a trap, in the middle of the ground. He let out a yelp and fell in, sending a shower of autumnal leaves from the hole and into the air; in seconds, the surrounding area was shrouded by them.

The leader growled and lunged for the girl. Every fibre in Barry's body screamed at him to help her... but he couldn't. He had to keep reminding himself that he wasn't allowed to interfere with past events.

The man brought down his sword with both hands, but the woman was too fast for him and the blow glanced off the floor. Once the girl had dodged yet another strike, she reached for a nearby shrub and pulled out her own sword. She aimed at the leader's legs and swung with all her strength. The blade whizzed through the darkness, but there was no thud of impact. Somehow this bull of a man had jumped up just in time and on the way down threw himself at her with the force of a boulder.

Their height difference was so severe that it looked as if she were tangling with a bear, not because she was short (in fact she was rather tall), but the other man was so monstrous that he shamed any buildings or trees nearby. The woman grabbed him by the throat and landed two or three blows that made Barry think the man's skull would crack. Then she visibly froze. With one quick swish the man was sent flying through the air. He landed against a bush, rocking the forest and everything in it. As the girl pulled herself back up and raised the sword to come down on the man's head, his followers ran in to attack. Barry couldn't take it anymore. He'd never been proficient at watching people die.

Before the men could ambush her, Flash darted towards them. In less than a second they were all piled on top of each other like a human mountain, alive but unconscious. The girl, in a rather delayed reaction as far as Barry was concerned, looked around expecting to see the plethora of attackers. When she didn't, her attention turned back to the leader... but he wasn't there anymore either.

Now that he was out of hiding, he could see her more clearly. The collars of her robes were set far back to reveal the sensuous, vulnerable curve of her spine and the nape of her neck. The rush of light from the moon glowed on her face, delicate and slender. The silver of its glow was reflected in the dark brown irises of her eyes. She had eyes not unlike a swallow's, long and curved. Her narrow, high-bridged nose and the full lips of her small mouth cast shadows across her slightly tanned cheek.

"I really hope you're the good guy... or girl... otherwise, I just knocked these men out for no reason." Barry joked... though he was seriously hoping he had helped the right person. The girl sheathed her weapon and moved the holder over her back without a word. Barry groaned at his own idiocy. "Right...You probably have no idea what I'm saying, do you?"

The girl finally spared him a look, and when she did, her eyes lingered over the suit as if it were the strangest thing she'd ever seen. Maybe it was. Barry wasn't sure where he had landed, but he knew for sure that none of them dressed even remotely similar to the people from his time.

The girl raised an eyebrow at him, likely because she couldn't figure out why he was wearing something so impossibly tight. Eventually though, his odd choice of clothing didn't seem relevant enough to keep her standing there in the open. She turned on heel, and started walking in the opposite direction without a word.

"You're welcome!" Barry called out sarcastically, leaning against the pile of bodies with a huff.

The girl turned and Barry froze on the spot.

"Kochira e dozo." She said and each word was just as confusing as the next. Barry shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, unsure how to tell her that he couldn't understand. She waved her hand swiftly, and rather aggressively. "Kochira e dozo."

"Oh! Follow you?" He replied despite the knowledge that she probably didn't speak English, and even if she did, it was unlikely to be modern English.

The girl didn't answer, she simply waved her hand once more and started walking away again. It didn't look like she was going to stop this time, whether he went with her or not.

Barry's mind buzzed with scenarios. He was almost certain that following her would alter the past even further... but did it really matter now? He'd already interfered, and she was his best chance of getting answers.

Barry took one more look at his surroundings. The forest was getting darker and the branches of trees now appeared like spindly fingers reaching for him. The sky was painted black and different hues of blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night.

He gave a sigh of defeat, and with little more hesitation, he ran after the girl. The atmosphere around him grew colder the further they walked, and still he didn't know where he was, when he was, or where he was going.

—————————————-

_**Author's Note**: This story is part of my DC series, which consists of eight stories (Invincible, Escape Velocity, The Throne of Atlantis, Inhuman, Mortal, Peacekeeper, Elysium, and Legacy). It's not necessary to read them all if you're not interested, but they will link together as if they were operating within the same universe._


	2. Two

**_Chapter Two: Defenders of the Realm_**

The girl moved like water, painting a picture noise alone could never achieve. Every step was airy and light, there was no sound of footfall nor of a stumble. Even when they made it to a rocky hill she still walked as if she were floating a few inches off the ground - no pebbles brushed against her feet or were accidentally kicked down the edge. Barry, on the other hand, had tripped almost five times just trying to climb up the damn thing.

The stranger's dark brown eyes glanced back at him as she came to a halt, shining like two beetles under the moonlight. In front of her was a cave mouth of impenetrable blackness that seemed to carve its way deep into the earth. Barry made a face of distrust, though beneath the mask he wasn't entirely sure if she had seen it. Either way, the girl didn't appear too bothered about whether he intended to join her or not, because her gaze was soon forced straight ahead again and she disappeared into the cave.

Flash grimaced at the whole situation. For all he knew that woman could have been a fire breathing monster, and this could have been her nest. The idea was ridiculous, of course, but when your daily life consisted of flying aliens and shape shifters nothing was impossible.

Barry groaned, trying to remind himself that outrunning her should be easy if she was planning something horrible...should be. With an air of reluctance he stepped inside and watched as his shadow dissolved into the surrounding darkness. It was dank and the only sound was the dripping of an unknown water source.

Barry extended his hands out in front of himself in fear that he might bump into something, soon after though there was a spark in the distance that lit up the second half of the cave. Barry felt every muscle in his body contract. He'd seen that light before...

It's shapeless form expanded and it was eclipsed by the woman he had been trailing after. In one small flicker she was gone, vanishing in front of his eyes. Barry's breath hitched in his throat. He was certain now, he definitely knew what this was. All hesitation left him as he followed her through the portal, and once the blinding brightness had dimmed, he saw that he had been teleported into a tower - The Tower of Fate, to be more specific.

They were on the top floor, skipping the numerous stairs that twirled the length of the structure. The room itself was larger than the one he remembered from his own time, and full of ancient Egyptian artifacts. The only thing that was missing was a live mummy... but Barry wasn't too disappointed that there wasn't one.

The black haired woman suddenly came into his line of sight again, blocking his view of a rather large slab of gold with Hieroglyphics engraved into it.

"Wait here." She said sternly, and with a fairly strong accent wavering over each word.

Barry's mind hadn't registered that she'd actually said something in English. His first instinct was to nod, whether he understood her or not, and his second was to gasp in so much air that his lungs could barely hold all of the oxygen.

By the time he'd completely come to terms with what she'd just said the girl was already gone, and he was left surrounded by items so old he had to wonder if they were cursed. He wasn't able to ponder that for as long as he thought he could, because it wasn't long before the woman had returned... a familiar figure floating close behind her.

"You should not be here." The voice of the helm spoke.

There stood a man wrapped in blue garb, adorned with Egyptian traditions. Over his shoulders flowed a gold cape, trailing down to his matching boots. A golden mantle etched with runes laid upon his chest, which was overshadowed by the majestic Helm of Fate, resting upon the head of the wearer.

"Doctor..." Barry addressed coldly.

"You defy order by travelling here. Leave at once." Barry noted that Doctor Fate's voice was exactly the same as the one from his time. The fact was that the wearer of the Helm acted as a vessel for Nabu, Lord of Order.

"I'm here because I chased someone, Doc. Someone who brings chaos."

Doctor Fate cocked his hand and clenched his dark-skinned hands into fists. "Elaborate."

Barry smirked, knowing that Fate would immediately comply after the mention of that word. "His name is Eobard Thawne. And for the time being, he's stranded in the present. I have to find him and bring him back to stand for his crimes...and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Fate took a second to mull over the news, as Barry's attention fell onto the woman once again. "Why didn't you tell me you speak English...?"

"You did not ask."

Barry frowned and raised his brows. "Makes sense. Will you at least tell me your name then?"

The girl's lips tightened as if she were unsure whether to accept his request or not. Finally, her expression fell blank once more and she answered. "Mineko."

Barry wasn't certain that he had heard her right, and even if he did, he knew he'd have to repeat that name a few times in his head before he was comfortable enough to say it out loud. "Cool, I'm Barry."

"Barry?" She said, testing the foreign name against her tongue. Mineko's nose scrunched up. "This is an odd name. I do not care for it."

"... It's pretty common where I'm from." Barry replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "And 'Mineko' isn't much better."

"Enough. This agent of chaos must be stopped." Fate's voice suddenly pierced through their ears. "A meeting has been convened with the others. We have much to discuss and little time."

The Doctor descended a flight of stairs, and Mineko gestured for Barry to follow. The pair caught up with Fate, and Barry's mind was once again straining to comprehend the mess that was the interior of the Tower of Fate.

In Barry's eyes, it was a splitting image of M. C Escher's 'Relativity' piece...that painting with the stairs that was some kind of nonsensical beauty. That was what the Tower was like. Stairs led into a wall, a wall that was carpeted and furnished like a floor, which was connected to another staircase that did a similar thing to another wall. But you could walk on it all just the same. Barry just let it go the first time he saw this place; thinking about it too much would drive his scientific mind insane. He may be a guy who can run faster than light, but he could at least understand it scientifically.

"Hey...so...why did you bring me here?" Barry asked Mineko urgently.

Her eyes never moved as she walked and replied "The gifted are not welcome in the outside world. I witnessed your speed, and knew that you belonged here." They swerved down the corridor with Fate, as Mineko went on to say "You know the Doctor?"

Barry rubbed the back of his head nervously. "It's a long story. Short version is I'm from the future, and I know the Doctor Fate from my time. I've been here before...well...will be here. In a couple hundred years."

Mineko stopped responding after this, almost as if she wanted to know nothing about the future. Either that or, much like Barry with the stairs, she didn't want to think about it too much.

Before long, the trio arrived inside a circular chamber already filled with a number of individuals. Barry could've sworn it was some kind of medieval convention.

He immediately noticed a man dressed in full plate armour. The steel was worn and dented, the mark of a well-travelled warrior. The man's face was rugged and lightly scarred, but it seemed to lose its harshness once they entered the room.

"By the heavens." The knight muttered with an intense German accent. "W-Why...have you no shame?"

His eyes instantly leapt away from Barry's tight costume, Flash sighed and crossed his arms. "Yeah. Should've expected more of this."

"Calm yourself. Barry Allen is a man from the future, hence his...strangeness." Doctor Fate explained, though it didn't falter the looks Barry was getting.

"Please, at least have the decency to cover up." The Knight boomed once more. "There are women in the room!"

As if on cue one of the girls standing nearby averted her eyes, cheeks darkening several shades of red as she muttered "Oh my..."

The girl had a nose like a cartoon character, or one drawn by a lazy artist at least. The bridge was so low-profile that it was barely there at all; so on a face of skin all the same honeyed hue, her nose was a bump just above her dusky pink lips. Her outfit told that she was a simple villager, probably lived out on a farm somewhere with her parents. There was no two ways about it, she was cute. Something told Barry that she was much older than she looked though...

"Why ya gettin' all flustered for?" The man standing right next to her spoke. He was somewhat too tall for his build; were he a few inches shorter he would be all the more handsome for it. It was as if he stopped growing only to be stretched on one of those medieval racks a half-foot more. His face was mostly obscured by a red scraggly beard that clung to his skin like winter ravaged ivy tendrils. He met Barry's gaze not with the shyness of the girl beside him or of the knight, but with a blunt refusal to avert his gaze first. "He ain't nothin' special."

"Pardon my intrusion, Thane..." Another voice called, this one was higher than the last, and a lot clearer. "But am I the only one that heard the Doctor say that this... thing... is from the future?!"

Mineko's gaze snapped in the direction the voice was coming from. It was Vincent. He was new to the 'Defenders of the realm', or so they called themselves. He had bad breath, a face like a pickle jar, and he was constantly sending Mineko contrived poetry. The girl regarded him as she would a slug that had invaded the Tower of Fate and left a trail of slime behind it.

"If a time travellin' skameler is what concerns you, then you ain't gonna last long 'round here." Thane snickered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"A skameler?" Barry muttered, voice dripping with confusion.

"The word refers to a parasite." Mineko answered for him, and suddenly Barry wished he'd never asked.

"Silence. All of you." Doctor Fate's voice echoed through the room so loudly that any other noise was rendered inaudible. "This agent of chaos must be detained. If the flow of time is further disrupted by this interloper, there may be dire consequences."

This seemed to grab everyone's attention again, even Thane had shut his mouth long enough to listen.

"It will be most efficient to operate in pairs to search Japan. It is unlikely that he has left the country." Fate said, scanning the room to make certain that he had their full attention. "It is imperative that we succeed."

"We shall prevail!" The knight declared, puffing out his chest with full confidence.

"What exactly are we looking for though?" The small voice of the female villager asked as she fiddled with the edges of her sleeves.

"Anyone that appears out of place." Mineko spoke, directing towards Barry. "Should not be too difficult if they are like him."

The group smirked and Barry huffed. He was starting to feel like some kind of Circus act, but one that didn't get payed by the audience... He was about ready to insist that they all get their coin bags out and start slipping him money for every second they gawk at him.

"Start searching." Fate continued before directing his gaze down to Mineko. "You will accompany our visitor. He is our best chance of finding this villain."

The girl's entire expression fell. "Would it not be more prudent to keep him near you instead, Doctor?"

"You found him, he's your responsibility."

Mineko's nose scrunched up at the idea. She sparred Barry a sideways glance, to which he grinned and said "Guess you're stuck with me, huh?"

She didn't make any specific sound of displeasure but the look on her face confirmed that she wasn't too happy about this sudden predicament. "Just attempt discretion, you already stand out enough."

With that, Mineko walked right passed him. Barry could only assume that he was meant to follow her because that seemed to be the general ritual now. He was getting tired of trailing along after her like some lost pet, but the view wasn't too bad... You know, in that 'disciplined, uptight samurai' kind of way.


	3. Three

**_Chapter Three: The Search_**

A few hours later all the sky to the north had darkened and the spare terrain they trod had turned a neuter gray as far as the eye could see. They grouped in the road at the top of a rise and looked back. They had covered a lot of ground, but Thawne was still nowhere to be seen.

"He originates from your time, Ser Allen." Mineko spoke as if she was constantly under surveillance, even the slightest informality would not be tolerated. "If anyone could determine where this fiend has disappeared to, it is you."

Barry's face scrunched up. He wasn't accustomed to being addressed by his last name, it made him feel like an old man. "Just because we're from the same time doesn't mean I understand how his mind works... and it's just Barry."

Mineko raised a dark eyebrow at him. "Well, just Barry, perhaps this little voyage would not be so tedious if you applied that speed of yours to the search."

The man turned to her with an uncertain expression. Had she just made a joke? The thought seemed impossible to him. In the admittedly limited time he had known her she had come across as nothing but a solemn and dull individual. He deducted that it must have been in his head. "I can't... Whatever Thawne did it's disrupted my connection to the speed force as well as his. I can only reattach the link in bursts, and I already used that up saving you."

"You did not save me." Mineko scorned, eyes darkening at the very idea. "That would imply that I was in need of rescuing, which I was not."

"Didn't look that way to me." Barry smirked.

"Then you should get your eyesight examined." She said in a harsh monotone, quickening her pace to create a little distance between the two of them. "You saw only what you wanted to see, I had it under control."

"Yeah, no need for gratitude..." He replied with an air of sarcasm, having little choice but to continue trailing after the stubborn woman.

"Gratitude for what exactly?" Mineko retorted, voice still short and blunt. "For bringing an agent of potential chaos into our midst, or for simply threatening the fate of both present and future civilisations?"

"You don't seriously blame me for this, do you?" Barry said defensively.

"Blame is not the issue here. The fact is that you failed in preventing Thawne from crossing through time, and now he risks the stability of your future." Mineko halted in the middle of their set path and turned to face him. Her jaw was clenched sharply, eyes narrowed in his direction. "I realise that our responsibilities can prove trying at times, but you never should have let him get this far."

"It's not like I had much choice in the matter." Barry returned the same hostile glare. "I came through to help, I could have just stayed back and let you deal with him."

"Just because you did not wish to add the lives of billions to your conscious does not automatically eradicate you of any guilt. You need to be willing to do anything to capture him, and my instincts tell me that you are not willing."

The wrinkle between Barry's brows deepened, his lips tightening into a thin line. "There's a limit... There's always a limit."

"No, there is not." was her quick reply before she continued on ahead of him.

Flash watched her go, unsure how to feel about her ideals. The 'victory at all costs' mindset had never caused anything but more damage in his time. He was starting to dislike this place more and more as the hours dragged on...

Barry started following her again but now he was walking like his shoes were too tight, making short little strutting steps like a clockwork soldier. Every tormented thought could be heard in the leaves that crunched beneath them, like he had some kind of contempt for the place he had landed in. The only positive thing to take from this was the reminder that he still didn't know what era he was in.

"Hey..." Barry forced his voice to find air. "If we're going to be searching together it would probably be best if I knew exactly where I am... or, more specifically, when I am."

"You mean to ask me what today's date is?" Mineko replied swiftly, apparently having no time for his vagueness. "It's the fourth month of Kyōtoku."

Barry jogged to catch up to her, now walking directly at her side. "Am I suppose to know what that means?"

"My apologies, I do not know how else to describe it."

"I guess you guys would have your own way of telling the date. " He said with a slight twinge of disappointment. "We typically go by the year, you know? Like 1982 or 1825..."

The girl was silent for a few seconds but Barry could almost visualise the cogs turning in her head as she thought. He didn't miss a single movement that she made in these brief moments. Her hair and shoulders bounced lightly with each step she took, and her bottom lip became captured between her teeth. Her gaze seemed stuck on some invisible phantom, only ever interrupted by the rare blink her body would allow.

"In that case," She finally spoke as they begun walking towards a row of small, unstable houses. "I believe it would be close to 1454."

"1454?!" Barry's whole body froze, he could feel every muscle contracting before weakening altogether. Still, after the initial shock had passed, he managed to continue marching forward. Colombus hadn't even discovered America yet, so it was probably a good thing he hadn't disturbed the tribes that lived there. "I went back over 500 years..."

"That certainly explains your... strangeness."

Barry huffed in response but felt no need to answer. He was getting use to being the odd one out, and he assumed that it was only going to get worse from there. He was right. Most of the houses were completely empty, but one of them was home to a family of two that stared at him as if he were some sort of extra-terrestrial being. They finished searching their place and Mineko thanked them for their time, or at least that's what Barry hoped she was saying, before they both rushed back into their house like it held a sanctuary away from the weird man.

"Now we must search the Kanto region..." Mineko suddenly spoke darkly, completely on edge. "If you cannot use your gifts than you better stay close."

"I'm guessing this Kanto place isn't the safest area of Japan?" Barry spoke in his usual accent when he said the name, but to Mineko it sounded nasally and slow. He drew out the 'a' in Kanto too much and the he pronounced his o's as if he wished to exaggerate it. Mineko had never heard anything like it.

"Conflict very recently began to arise between rival clans for dominance of the Kanto region." Mineko explained as they took a sharp right turn. "It started with the assassination of Noritada from the Uesugi clan just a few moons ago by the hand of the Ashikaga. Armed attacks quickly broke out, and now it is a place of constant power struggle."

"So the citizens are in danger?" Barry asked in alarm.

"No, they are samurai. One would like to hope that they have more honour than to injure unarmed innocents."

Barry exhaled a sigh of relief. "Samurai... like the ones you were fighting before?"

"They were from the Ashikaga clan, so yes."

"Does that mean you wanted that other group to take control of the area?"

"I do not wish to see either clan succeed, however the Ashikaga are a more pressing issue than the Uesugi." Mineko's eyes scanned their surroundings. She halted, then proceeded to walk forward. "The Uesagi have not yet made their intentions clear, but the Ashikaga wish to expand their reaches beyond Kanto."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that once they take control they will spread throughout Japan. They wish to overthrow Emperor Go-Hanazono and seize power for themselves. Once they successfully rule Japan they will expand the empire and wage wars against our neighbouring countries."

"That... doesn't sound good."

"It sounds terrible." The Kanto region, at last, came into view. It was larger than the previous places they had searched, with numerous people involving themselves in trade. "There are enough wars being waged around the world, so if one is unnecessary, I will put an end to it."

"Is any war necessary though?"

Mineko gave him a swift sideways look but it wasn't long before her attention was turned back towards their path. "Some shape the fate of our future. These must take place or the world will suffer as a result. It is not an easy thing to accept, but nothing ever is."

Barry was dumbfounded. He couldn't believe she had just said that... He had the later years of his life trying to avoid wars from occurring, and she was openly stating that they were needed. He wasn't sure how he was meant to react or feel. He knew his ideals were not welcome in this century, but he couldn't help but wonder why she thought this way.

"Get back." She suddenly whispered, and this was enough to pull Barry out of his own mind.

"What?" He replied, too distracted to actually decipher what she had said.

The girl swirled around and pushed him back with so much force that he ended up on the ground, completely winded. His eyes had automatically closed at the impact, lungs wheezing through the surprise. Without the Speed Force he was all too vulnerable...

Barry heard a grunt, then a bang, but by the time he had opened his eyes the fight was almost over. Mineko cut her katana through the air, and a sharp gust of wind followed it towards the attacker. He was blasted backwards and landed against a nearby plank of wood with a resounding 'crack'.

The girl took several strides in the enemies direction, slashing her sword thrice more before bringing it up. The end pointed down towards the man's chest, right above where his heart was. Barry didn't see a moments hesitation in her eyes and that frightened him more than anything.

"W-Wait!" Barry yelled, voice echoing through the region. Mineko halted her hands but didn't take her eyes off the enemy. "You're not... You're not seriously going to kill him, are you?"

"He will die fighting for his beliefs, it is an honourable death despite our differences."

"That's not the point!" He jumped to his feet, staring the woman down as if he were ready to fight her on it. "If you kill him you're just as bad as the people that you deem evil."

"You have a very narrow understanding of how the world works." Mineko responded in a dim, almost bored, tone.

"It's not right!"

"War is not about who is right, it is about who is left."

Barry bared his teeth, anger boiling through his veins and narrowing his bones. He didn't understand, nor did he ever wish to comprehend how her mind worked. She tightened her grip on the swords hilt, and Barry's body shook as it prepared to pounce at her.

She flipped the Katana around and sheathed it at her side. She had no desire to bicker with the future dweller over something so irrelevant to their search. Instead of killing the man, she knocked him unconscious with a hard swipe of her fist.

"The blood of the lives that he will take from this point forward are on your hands." Mineko hissed, giving the unconscious man one final glare of displeasure. "And there will be many."

As she started shuffling away again Barry ran to catch up, though without his connection to the speed force he was fairly slow. "You're just going to leave him there? Why not arrest him?"

"You obviously do not know how the law works here, so I suggest you stop pretending to. We either kill him or he walks free, those are our only options."

An exhale whistled between Barry's clenched teeth. He had never met anyone so intolerable before... She could even give Bruce Wayne a run for his money. His hands rolled into fists at his side, it took every ounce of strength he had to not just seperate himself from her and start his own search for Thawne. Maybe he would have... if it weren't for the blood that caught his eye.

Mineko's right sleeve had been sliced open, and now the light plum colour was seeped in dark crimson. He couldn't see the cut beneath the fabric, but to extrude that much blood he knew it must have been deep. The worst part was that he was painfully aware that this was his fault. She had pushed him out of the way, and in doing so, left herself open for an attack.

Barry averted his gaze away from the injury, guilt welling up in his stomach. He felt useless without a solid connection to the Speed Force, he wasn't use to being so slow and sluggish. It was a nightmare, one that he hoped would end before he became too incompetent.


	4. Four

**_Chapter Four: Hostility_**

Shadows danced across the paper door separating Barry and Mineko. They had looked around Kanto for longer than planned, but once exhaustion started warring on them, they had no choice but to find a place to rest. Mineko had lead him to a small wooden hut, inside of which was largely left empty. There was a Tatami mat placed at the entrance and candles scattered around most of the furniture but they were the only things worth noting.

They had distanced themselves from each other the moment they entered that house. Flash had stored his suit away and changed into something more casual, well, for his era at least. Mineko had done the same, but instead of pacing back and forth like Barry did afterwards, she sat on the thin straw mattress and meditated.

The monks at Mineko's old monastery use to say that the more a person knows the less they talk. So, she endeavoured to take a few minutes each day to cease speaking and to instil a large band of silence inside herself, in order to forge a deeper and closer relationship with her own strengths. Only when she attained absolute quietude did she understand the supreme virtue of humanity and understand the meaning of both life and death. Only when she achieved absolute stillness could she come to a perfect realisation of the meaning of existence innate in all things.

A relieved sigh shivered passed her lips when her body finally started relaxing. Mineko was under the naive impression that she'd get a few brief moments of peace... but the man in the room next to her was so loud that even his footsteps sounded like a scream to her. The paper door was slid open and her expression scrunched up in mild annoyance. Her eyes opened and glared like dark daggers in Barry's direction.

"Hey, so... is this your place?" Barry asked, completely unfazed by the annoyance written all over Mineko's face.

"It belongs to no one." She replied simply, eyes trailing over the man and narrowing at his clothing. If anything he was even more noticeable like that...

"Oh, great. We're just in some random house then?" Barry groaned. "Are we even allowed in here?"

"It belongs to the monastery. Whomever needs it may use it."

The man's expression turned to one of intrigue. "You belonged to a monastery?"

The woman sighed and unfolded her legs, finally coming to terms with the fact that Barry wasn't going to stop bothering her. "There is no 'belonged'. Past tense does not apply to the ones that studied there. You either are a part of their ranks or you are not."

Barry stared at her in bewilderment. She was like one of those old, wise men in the action movies he watched as a kid... only she was a woman, and she wasn't exactly old either. Overall, what he was trying to say, was that she seemed overly disciplined. Like she had been trained for one specific purpose and she didn't exist outside of that mission. It was kind of sad, really, to know that she had no desires of her own.

"Okay... so you are a member of the monastery then?" Barry asked, hoping that the answer would be a little clearer this time.

"That is not information that I am permitted to discuss."

"Of course it's not..." Barry said lowly. "Look, if we're going to be working together we should be able to trust each other, right?"

"That would be preferable."

"Then you need to tell me more about yourself." The man insisted, shifting to the spot in front of her and sitting down. "It's hard to trust a complete stranger."

"Trust is not about companionship, it should be based purely on the knowledge that we are on the same side."

"That's not how it works though!" Barry said, a little more frustrated this time at her vague answers. "People can switch sides just as easily."

"And they are dealt with when they make that decision, but as of now, neither of us have betrayed the other. Our trust should stem from that."

"You're asking me to trust you based only on the fact that you haven't tried to kill me yet?" Barry's expression twisted into pure confusion and uneasiness. "That's not a good enough reason."

Mineko couldn't comprehend the man's way of thinking. It was all so simple to her, but he acted as if it were a complicated concept. "If you are so insistent on this, then perhaps you could inform me where your new clothing came from. I did not see you bring them with you."

His eyes flicked down to the ring secured on his finger. It was gold and thick with his signature lightning bolt engraved on the top. He twisted it a few times and smirked. "That's a secret."

"Then you will excuse me if I do not wish to reveal my own 'secrets'." She replied, and though her words seemed polite, her tone was drenched in ridicule.

Barry grimaced at her evasive nature. She really was impossible to deal with... "Could you at least tell me what the Defenders of the Realm is?"

"We are an underground organisation. We protect the world from threats beyond regular capabilities."

"I gathered that much for myself, funnily enough." Barry said sarcastically. "But no one seems even remotely aware of your presence."

"We take precautions to ensure their ignorance remains intact."

The air was beginning to drop drastically in temperature, but in the midst of his curiosity, Barry barely felt it shivering against his skin. "And that's supposed to be a good thing?"

"Gifted individuals are not greeted with pleasantries here, no matter how great their desire to help is. Country-wide panic ensues whenever they witness something outside of their understanding, our people are killed if they are found."

"Killed?!" Barry yelled out in shock, voice seeming to echo all throughout the house.

"It is viewed as a form of witchcraft. Many have been burnt for their powers, others are simply murdered."

The man's entire face fell into absolute horror. His insides curdled like spoilt milk, and his lip twitched upwards in a silent growl. This place was one of the seven circles of hell, it had to be. "That's disgusting..."

"It is reality, nothing more." She replied with indifference.

The atmosphere thickened with tension. Barry couldn't believe that she was so unconcerned with the fate of other metahumans, and when his stare sharpened into slits, Mineko glared back at his rudeness. They were opposites in every essence of the word, and it made Barry dread having to continue working with her. He knew it was essential to finding Thawne though, so he'd have to grin and bare it.

"I think I'm just gonna go to bed." Barry grumbled, voice so low with irritation that it reverberated in his chest.

"A wise decision." The girl replied, managing to contain her own annoyance. She had been taught to ignore such feelings, and so it wasn't difficult for her. "We must get up with the dawn, so there is little time left."

The man muttered something under his breath, some word that Mineko didn't understand but sounded aggressive. She could only assume that he was insulting her, but still she remained unresponsive. Barry, on the other hand, was so tense that when he shut the sliding door he had created a tear through the paper.

Usually, he'd feel some level of guilt over that. This time, however, he just marched to the corner of the room without a second look. The bed wasn't so much one that would pass in the future. It was simply a wool blanket splayed over an uncomfortable straw mattress.

Barry was up most of the night, skin itching from the unusual bedding and shivering at the cold that seemed to pass right through his blanket. He didn't know how people survived in this era if that was what passed for a warm bed. His teeth chattering soon started growing louder, and no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't get comfortable. He was starting to miss his own bed, the one with 4 different blankets and a built in heater...

Suddenly, he heard the door struggle to open, the tear making more noise than it should have. He saw Mineko step in and something akin to distrust filled his gut. He shot up on the spot, glaring as if he were waiting for her to take out her sword... she never did.

The woman simply stepped closer to him and held out an extra blanket, expression still blank of any emotion. Barry glanced from the woman, to the blanket, then back to her again. This was the last thing he had been expecting...

"I... can't." He managed to force the words out of his sore throat. "That's yours."

"I am accustomed to this climate. It is your constant shivering that is denying me of sleep, not the cold." She replied simply, tossing the blanket onto the edge of his mattress.

"Oh... sorry." Barry said, though he instantly regretted it. Why should he apologise for his bodies natural reaction?

"Do not apologise, just rest. If you fall behind tomorrow I will not return for you."

Any guilt he had previously felt dwindled away. Her harshness made it difficult to feel bad about inconveniencing her. Barry nodded to show his understanding, and he even managed to mutter a 'thank you', but he wasn't entirely sure how to feel about the whole situation.

Mineko left almost immediately afterwards and he didn't hear from her again until the sun started peering out from beneath the horizon. By this stage Barry had managed to get a few hours of sleep, but it wasn't enough to prevent the tiredness that lingered over him when he awoke. That was the least of his concerns though, if he finally caught Thawne he could leave this horrid place and forget that it ever happened.


	5. Five

**_Chapter Five: Taken_**

There were two types of people in this world; morning people and... not so morning people. Barry was the latter. He used the excuse that his mind needed the extra rest to function properly, however, Mineko was the complete opposite. The second she saw the sun beginning to peer out of the distant horizon, she took out her sword and scraped it against a slab of metal.

The sound pierced through the small house, travelling straight into the next room and into Barry's eardrums. The man jumped up on the straw mattress, eyes drooping tiredly and searching for the cause of such an irritating noise. His entire body felt weak, and when he finally managed to shuffle into the next room, that same exhaustion was written in his slumped posture.

He didn't have to ponder what the sound was for long. Mineko hadn't even bothered to hide her Katana, and Barry almost wished that she had. He didn't need another reason to distrust her...

"We must continue our search." The woman spoke sternly. "We have already squandered enough time."

Barry gritted his teeth, almost hard enough for it to be audible. He agreed that they had to start looking again, but he figured that Mineko could have woken him up in a more civil manner.

"...Good morning to you too..." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his head sleepily.

Mineko's dark eyebrows furrowed as she sheathed her sword. "Every moment you stand there complaining is one we could utilise in tracking down your criminal. I hope you are prepared, if not you will be left here."

Barry rubbed his eyes, hoping that this would dull the stinging. "Yeah, whatever... you told me that yesterday."

"Then you have had ample time to ensure that does not happen." Mineko seemed wide awake compared to Barry, her stance was steady and there were no dark circles beneath her eyes.

She moved swiftly over to the front door and slid it open. She spared him one single glance, likely to make sure that he was going to follow, before stepping out. Barry groaned. He would have at least liked the opportunity to fully wake up before departing. It didn't look like he was going to get that option though...

The urge to stay behind was almost overwhelming, but Barry somehow conjured enough willpower to follow her. He shut the door on his way out, almost forgetting that it was a sliding one.

Thankfully, the bitter chill outside jolted Barry into complete consciousness fairly quickly. However, It did nothing to assist his general exhaustion. Perhaps the most surprising thing to come of this was that Mineko noticed his lack of energy. Not that she actually expressed it at all.

She did rethink her approach to the mission though. Mineko had been trained, both mind and body, to be disciplined. Sometimes it came across as blunt or harsh to others, but she had little care about their opinions on her. When it effected the mission though... that was a different story.

At the Monastery they had stressed the importance of success, and if that meant compromising then they had to be willing to do so. The monks always told her that she struggled with that aspect - that she was so rooted to the ground that she became a part of the Earth, both unmovable and unforgiving. This was one of the few times that she'd had to reconsider her approaches to a partnership.

It wasn't that Mineko was overly fond of Barry, in fact she harboured no particular feelings towards him at all neither positive or negative, but it was apparent that he was struggling to trust her. That had the potential to ruin their entire goal in the long run, and so she forced herself to alter her own mindset.

"Ser Barry." She forced herself to speak with some remnants of clarity. "You mentioned earlier that revealing more personal details outside of the task at hand would encourage further cooperation, is that correct?"

Barry shivered. He'd never get use to hearing his name said with a 'ser' before it, and he'd definitely never get accustomed to her strange patterns in speech. It sounded so professional whenever she talked, like she had never heard an actual casual conversation in her life. Still, he nodded his response with the hope that he'd finally get some answers. "It'd certainly help."

"Then you may state your enquiries, however I make no promises to answer them all."

To say that he was shocked wouldn't exactly cover it. Barry had assumed that their relationship as comrades would stay fairly tense until he left, but knowing that she had actually listened to his complaint brought a little more respect from him.

"Fair enough." Barry finally responded, unsure of what exactly he wanted to ask her. Honestly, he didn't expect her to comply so he hadn't organised his curiosities in order of importance. He knew that he'd have to ask soon though, or she might change her mind. "What do you do as part of the monastery?"

Mineko immediately grimaced. "That is confidential. Ask another."

Barry's expression quickly fell to resemble hers. He should have seen this coming... "Fine, how long have you been with them then?"

"That is also a topic I wish to avoid." She said sternly.

Barry gave an exasperated sigh and shook his head. "What was the point if you weren't going to answer any of my questions in the first place?... Just forget about it. I don't care anymore."

"I was under the impression that you would have more necessary questions, these will not aid in the missions success."

Barry's steps grew heavier, more in a reluctant march than a champion of the people. "Maybe I wouldn't feel the need to know this stuff if you didn't walk, talk, and act like some high tech robot."

"...Excuse me?" Mineko said in an uncertain tone, brows furrowing and nose crinkling.

At first, Barry didn't understand why she seemed so confused. He thought he'd made himself quite clear... Then his surroundings came back into focus and he remembered what century he was in.

He huffed in slight frustration as Mineko's eyes remained affixed on him. Barry pondered how else to explain it but nothing else came to mind. The use of the term 'robot' to describe man-made automatons hadn't been coined until the 1920s... And the root word, 'robota', meant something along the lines of peasant labour, Barry remembered. Saying a Czech word to a Japanese woman was probably the stupidest thing he could do right about now. He shook his head and threw up his hands in annoyance. "Ugh forget it... Let's just keep going."

Barry paced ahead, not exactly wanting to hang around his newfound 'comrade' at the moment. She was a bit too stubborn and obnoxious for his liking.

However, unheard to Barry's untrained ear were the sound of muffled footsteps.

"Stop." Mineko hissed.

Barry rolled his eyes, sighed and spun around. "What now? Another fortune cookie proverb?"

His words turned to ash in his mouth when someone yanked him backwards. They held a hand firmly over his mouth and it quickly became hard to breath. Barry strained his eyes to look around and discovered that they had been ambushed by four men. It took every ounce of strength that he could manage to attempt a connection to the Speed Force, but he was still drained. He knew that a link may be established over time but his last outburst still weighed heavily on it.

Barry twisted in the mans grip but he had no power. Suddenly, he found himself inwardly cursing Thawne for disrupting the Speed Force. He had never felt so useless in such a dire situation.

He tried to wriggle out again, now realising just how massive the person restraining him was. It was the leader... the one he had seen Mineko fighting not too long ago. He remembered how massive he was, he looked like a fully grown bear compared to Mineko which was no small task. She was probably about an inch taller than Barry, who was around 5'11.

Calculating the height of whoever was holding him captive finally brought his attention to Mineko again. Up until then he hadn't even considered that she could be of help. When his eyes rested on her he noticed that she hadn't even reached for her sword yet. She seemed to be surveying the terrain over which they would battle.

It was a poor battlefield to say the least. Houses enclosed the area and limited the space in which Mineko could manoeuvre. She was painfully aware that a fight here could endanger the lives of innocent villagers.

"Kaze." The mans deep voice boomed from behind Barry, his hold tightening. "Anata no dōtoku wa anata o mekura ni suru."

Mineko's eyes narrowed. He spoke of her morality, and that it blinded her. He was obviously aware of her reluctance to draw her sword in such a public area. She knew they wouldn't hesitate to slash through anyone that wandered too close to the scene. Mineko wasn't willing to risk that.

She immediately told them to let Barry go, that he was of little use in their plans. They refused. The Ashikaga clan were convinced that he was of some value, especially if someone from the Monastery was with him. If nothing else, they knew that taking him would inconvenience her just as much as she had to them.

She saw the look on Barry's face when she straightened her posture and stepped back, signalling her defeat before even trying. He hadn't understood what their conversation was about, nor had he tried. He did, however, comprehend Mineko's body language. She was letting them take him... and honestly, he wasn't even surprised anymore.

Faster than the wind could blow through nearby trees, the clan had forced him away. Soon he found himself in a large room, hands tied behind his back so tightly that he could already feel it cutting into his skin. The place smelt of dried blood and dirt. It clung to everything within and refused to let go.

He wished that he could say that he felt betrayed, but he had expected it. As far as he was concerned, she had planned this all along. Suddenly he missed the people of his own time. They took care of one another... They never would have let this happen.

Once he had gathered a clear picture of his almost hollow surroundings, he was faced with a small man with a large scar trailing across his nose and left cheek. His breath wreaked of rotting meat and his teeth had decayed beyond even modern repair.

"What plans did the Kaze woman have for you?" He demanded in an accent much stronger and less practiced than Mineko's.

Barry's jaw sharpened. "I don't even know who this 'Kaze' is."

"The one of which you travel with." He spat back impatiently.

His brow furrowed at this response. Barry wouldn't have been surprised if Mineko had simply lied about her first name but it was more likely a surname or a group. "I barely even know her. If she has any plans then I certainly don't know about them."

The man observed him. His dark eyes watched Barry's every movement, but more importantly, every shift in his expression. The entire situation was unnerving, but the man eventually moved away. He spoke in Japanese to the person behind him - a girl with one eye completely frosted over by a ghostly white mist. She glanced to Barry and scoured. He somehow got the impression that her breath was even worse than the other guys.

"Do not concern yourself. If he is lying, I will find out." She said in English, as if she took pleasure in knowing he understood. She wanted to scare him, and though admittedly he wasn't the bravest of the heroes, he wasn't going to be intimidated by her.

He never broke eye contact with her, keeping his stare defiant. She apparently found it amusing as her lips quirked upward in a mixture of a smirk and a sneer. Barry could already sense the pain that was going to be inflicted upon him, but he was determined to avoid giving them any more knowledge than they already possessed. Even if it was on Mineko. She could turn him in but he was no traitor, not even towards an unlikable viper like her.


	6. Six

**_Chapter Six: Shadowplay_**

The hideout was an easy one to penetrate. The winds were in Mineko's favour on that particular day, and the clan had been careless with their defences. Apparently they hadn't considered the possibility that she already knew where they were headed.

She had known where their base was located for a while now. She had informed the Monastery but they had instructed her against infiltrating it. It didn't matter how adept she was with a sword, there were simply too many of them to risk it. This was different though, as long as she stuck to the shadows she would only have to fight a limited number of the clan.

It was important that she got the future dweller back, but more than that, she felt a little guilty that he had gotten involved in the power struggle. She may have been highly disciplined but she wasn't unfeeling. At times, human emotions were too prominent to ignore.

The large structure was quite simple to move through, much to Mineko's surprise. There weren't many secluded rooms connected to it, so that reduced the places she had to look through. She hid whenever people were passing through, usually near the ceiling. Over the years she had discovered that people were always so busy looking down that they forgot to look up.

Finally she discovered a rather large but empty section. Nothing resided within apart from a few piles of newly cleaned pots. There was nothing of substance though; no weapons, no training dummies... nothing except a big slab of wood in the middle, and a man tied to it. His head hung from his shoulders as if he had been knocked unconscious, but the twitching of his fingers proved that he was very much awake.

The short,dark hair was all that was needed to convince her that it was Barry, but if it hadn't, the clothes certainly helped. Her eyes flicked around the area. No one else was there yet but there was always a chance that they could appear when she least suspected it.

Without a sound, she slinked into the light and over to the wounded man.She placed her hand on his shoulder and his head moved upward. Mineko gritted her teeth... she didn't think they'd be so quick to hurt him. Barry's mangled lip and obviously broken nose were caked in dried blood, congealed and cracked. It had drizzled down his face like rain down a window pane.

"What are you doing here?" He spat at her, his voice gravelly and raw.

Mineko's had dropped from his shoulder. She forced herself to look at him, to appear stronger than she felt. "I have come to assist you."

"I don't want your help." Barry hissed. "I trust you even less than the ones that took me. At least they made their intentions clear..."

Mineko sighed and shifted over to the wood he was being held against. She untied the complicated knot easily, releasing Barry's hands and revealing that the rope had left deep cuts in his wrists. "Your distrust is unwarranted. I have done nothing to feed your suspicions."

"You've done nothing to erase them either." Barry grumbled. He brought his hands in front of him and bared his teeth at the deep gashes. "You let them take me. I think that's enough to suspect you."

The woman tugged on his arm in an instruction to move but the man only shrugged her away with a growl. She searched the room once more, aware that they had already stayed in that room for too long. She had to earn the man's trust... but it was difficult for her to do so. "I apologise. I was under the false impression that they would not harm you during the five days of rest."

Barry made a grunting sound, one that informed her that he didn't care about her excuses. "Am I just suppose to know what that is and accept it?"

"No. It is not something you would recognise." She replied, swallowing her pride and forcing herself to continue. "The five days of rest are sacred to any who train in a monastery. It is said that the very first master, and one of the few true samurai, had an impossible task ahead of him. He was to fight off two seperate clans that threatened the area. They were not properly trained, but their numbers were astounding. Instead of training his physical form he sat and meditated until the day of the battle - for five days. The legend tells of his success, and so many of us take those days to meditate in honour of him."

Barry blinked up at her in astonishment. She had been avoiding his questions for so long that he hadn't been expecting a straight answer. "Then why aren't you partaking in this 'rest'?"

"It was revealed in an Ancient scroll that the legends were false and that he died on the field. Many still meditate but I ceased doing so after it was revealed, I saw no point in celebrating failure. These clans though... they have not been informed of this."

"Why would they care? Their clans were supposedly defeated."

"Not their clans, different ones. They consider them imposters and so they hold respectful rememberance to their downfall... at least they use to." Questions whirled in Mineko's brain almost as much as in Barry's. She had done everything right, so why did she feel so terrible? "I believed that I could avoid the harm of innocent villagers if I allowed them to take you. It was a mistake."

"No..." Barry quickly interjected "You did the right thing. I would've done the same."

"I am glad to hear that. Only a fool places greater worth in the life of a comrade than the life of an innocent." She held a hand out, and this time Barry took it. He still disliked her distant personality, but he was grateful that she at least admitted that he wasn't useless.

"Thanks...?" He sighed.

All of a sudden Mineko's grip on his hand tightened. Her entire body tensed and any minuscule amount of emotion on her face fell. Her head whipped to the side just as the door was being pushed open. The leader entered, sword in hand and eyes flicking straight towards Mineko.

"Kaze." He hissed, pointing his blade in her direction. "Today you die."

"Someone will, Tsuchi, but it will not be me." She unsheathed her own weapon and stood defensively in front of Barry.

"Oh boy." Barry sighed under his breath. His eyes occasionally snapping to the doorway leading into the room...a blindspot for the two fighters.

For what felt like a lifetime, the two warriors stared each other down. Their eyes were similar in colour, but Tsuchi's were harsh and rough while Mineko's were steady and focused. For two people who had been trained in the same way, there had never been a pair more different.

When Tsuchi leapt he did so with an apparent lag in his actions. His feet were too wide and his stature too broad to have any chance at a swift enough action. Instead he relied on brute strength, forcing the sword over his head and slamming it into the earth. The ground rumbled and cracked under the force, and finally formed into spikes that arose from the surface.

Barry gasped and dove clumsily to his left, narrowly falling free of the chunks of rubble sent forth by the samurai's attack. Instead of executing a swift dodge, Barry's legs tangled themselves around each other and he planted his face firmly onto the ground.

The chunks of earth continued bolting in Mineko's direction, but with a sudden bound into the air, she managed to avoid their path. She spun in midair and the oxygen surrounding her became visible, and pushed her forward with incredible force. Tsuchi attempted to dodge it, but his awareness of the attack couldn't completely compensate for his sluggishness. Mineko's blade slashed him right across the cheek, spilling the man's blood onto the floor. She skidded to a halt on the other side of the room, wasting no time in re-assuming a defensive stance. Now, Tsuchi stood in front of Barry, but was adamant on winning his duel before finishing the young man.

Without a word, Tsuchi simply touched a thumb on the wound and gave an irritated glare at the blood now coating it. This was when Barry finally managed to get up from his desperate dive, and send his attention back onto the duel.

He hated this feeling of helplessness. It made him regret what he chose to do with his gift. He had all the time in the world to prepare himself, to train and become a better fighter...but instead he depended on the Speed Force. He was useless without it.

As the two warriors began taking more steps in their deadly dance, Barry noticed a slight glint in the corridor...which was in full view now that he dove away from it. "Mineko! Your left!"

The words barely left his mouth before another swordsman shifted into the room from the dark hall, but Tsuchi seized advantage of Mineko's sudden glance away, thrusting his blade at her now unguarded side. Like a bundle of leaves in the wind, she twirled and struck the attacker's blade with her own, and the other samurai's eyes flashed. There was no way Mineko would be fast enough to fight two fully trained samurai at once...

Barry growled and sprinted like a fury at the man. He weaved passed Tsuchi and brutishly tackled the samurai from behind, and the pair tumbled onto the ground like ragdolls.

The man's hand was rammed into the wall, and his fingers cracked as his grip on his katana was struck free. Barry's attention fell instantly onto the sword. As he desperately grasped for the weapon, still prone like his opponent, he felt electricity surge through his mind again...not as much as he was used to but it was still enough.

Sword now in hand, he propped himself up on the wall, trying to get to his feet as quickly as possible. The enemy laughed as he followed suite and spied Barry holding the sword, but his smirk soon wavered once he saw that it turned into a blur in Barry's hand.

He wasn't going to use it. No way. He needed to keep it out of the fight for his and Mineko's sakes though, and maybe he could scare these people while he was at it. Barry focused his energy into his hand and in turn, vibrated the molecules within the sword at an incredible speed. This was an old technique that had many applications, one was literally shaking apart the molecules of matter, destroying it.

After a single second, the steel blade exploded into harmless particles of steel dust, and Barry instantly dropped the wooden hilt that remained. The swordsman was stunned by the remarkable happening, and Barry didn't want to waste that kind of chance. With no more juice left, Barry locked onto the shelf of pottery behind him. He spun, clasped his hand onto the lip of one pot, spun again, then released.

The ceramic pot hurtled through the air and shattered as it impacted on the swordsman's face. He was pushed into the wall by the violent blow, snarling in rage.

Deeming this attack rather successful but not successful enough, Barry immediately repeated it. Another pot broke itself on the forehead of the swordsman. The shards of ceramic material flew in all directions and he dropped to the floor like a dead weight, blood trickling from his brow.

Now that his attention wasn't demanded by something else, Barry, out of breath from throwing those two pots as well as tackling the guy, looked back at Mineko. Her blade had clashed with Tsuchi's again, but he slipped. She didn't forgive this mistake, as she slid beside him, sliced the back of his knee then bludgeoned his temple with the pommel of her katana and knocked him unconscious.

As quickly as it began, it ended. Mineko immediately said to Barry "You fought without honour."

"Well, I usually just go for any advantage I can get."

"...I was not informed that you could make objects explode." She murmured, gesturing towards the pile of dust behind him that was once a sword.

Completely aware that Mineko wasn't likely to understand anyway, Barry almost said something along the lines of 'I just oscillated its molecules until they destabilised and disintegrated', but checked the action. Instead, he simplified it to "I...vibrated it until it fell apart, essentially. It's still speed, just with a bit of science."

Mineko's face scrunched up as if she hadn't completely comprehended what he had said. She wanted to ask something, that much was obvious, but they had already spent far too long in enemy territory. Instead she somehow manages to sneak Barry out, which proved to be a lot more difficult than she had originally hoped. He was clumsy on his feet and without his powers he was slower than an average person.

Still, they somehow made it out and Mineko couldn't help but feel a little relieved about it. Her stress levels had declined so much that she was able to remember the question that she wanted to ask the man.

"What is 'science'?" She said as they entered a relatively safe zone.

Barry almost jumped at her question. She seemed like a fairly intelligent woman, how could she not know what science was? Instead of answering her he scoured his mind for an reason, and it took a little too long for him to finally realise that science was extremely different a few hundred years ago. In fact, it wasn't even called science.

"Oh, right." He sighed, eyes shifting to the ground. He had learnt the old name for it, but it wasn't something he had deemed important enough to pay attention to. Barry, at that point, had to be grateful that he had a fairly decent memory. "You guys call it Natural Philosophy... I think."

Mineko's brow wrinkled. She still didn't seem to fully grasp his meaning. "What you describe does not sound like Natural Philosophy."

"It's changed since... well, nowadays. Religion and 'science', or the research part of Natural Philosophy, no longer go hand in hand. They're two separate entities."

"That does not make any sense, religion is a key component to Natural Philosophy. It is the backbone, the reason behind the research."

"I know it's a little difficult to imagine if you didn't grow up in a world where that was the reality." Barry held a hand across his side, only now beginning to feel the delayed pain from his time in the enemy's base. "I don't know how else to describe it... maybe I could try and teach you a little about it. I might even be able to help you find different uses for your powers."

Mineko raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Powers?"

"Yeah, I saw you back there. It looked like you could manipulate the wind."

"Oh..." Mineko nodded, glancing at the limping boy out of the corner of her eye. She would have helped him walk, but she was raised to believe that such a thing would be an attack on his pride. "My apologies, within the temple we do not consider it a power. Though I suppose members of the Defenders of the Realm do."

Barry's free hand came in contact with a wall and he leaned against it for support. He needed a minute to catch his breath, and surprisingly didn't need to tell Mineko to wait. She had already halted any movement forward the moment he had.

"What is it if not a power?" Barry asked curiously.

"I cannot tell you. Even if it is something already widely known by the clans, if they torture you for information I would prefer you not to know anything at all. They have probably already gathered too much from you this time."

"They got nothing from me." The man's expression darkened and scrunched into anger. Did she really think he would tell those creeps anything?

"The guilt is unnecessary. Those clans are adept at torture and extracting what they need, without proper training it is almost impossible to resist them."

Barry's glare sharpened in a way that didn't suit him as he repeated himself. "I didn't tell them anything."

Mineko observed him, searching his face for any hint of a lie. She saw none and that only surprised her even more. "You... resisted their attempts?" She said in disbelief.

"You have very little faith in me, you know that? I'm not as weak as you think."

"It's not about weakness or faith. I struggle to imagine any of my comrades withstanding that kind of torture, let alone a complete stranger." Mineko couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration towards the man. Anyone with such mental strength was worthy of praise... though she wasn't going to be the one to give it to him.

At her explanation Barry lightened up a little. He shrugged and inhaled a large gust of air. "You don't know true pain until you've experienced the sensation of your brain being shredded to bits."

The woman blinked at him in surprise, and he could tell that there was a snippet of horror behind her gaze as well. As expected, she couldn't imagine such a thing. Barry, however, had gone through it during the earlier years of the Justice League. Despero was one of their first villains, he had both Telekinesis abilities and Telepathy among other things; he could do anything you could imagine to someone's mind. Barry almost shivered at the memory.

"The future sounds horrid..." Mineko grumbled, leaning against the wall beside him.

Barry shrugged. "Yeah, well, the past sucks as well."


	7. Seven

**_Chapter Seven: Quantam Leap_**

"Ouch!" Barry hissed as Mineko attempted to treat his wounds. "Are you trying to help me, or to hurt me even more?"

"I apologise. I am not use to healing people that are so... fragile." Mineko replied lowly, moving to a large gash on his arm.

"F-Fragile?!" Barry huffed. "I'm not... I mean-... I think that's a bit of an oversimplification. In my time we use anti-biotics and advanced medicines. If I caught a cold it would barely effect me, someone from your time would find it deadly."

"Ah, but a cut is just too much for you to handle?" She teased.

"I didn't say that! I just... I'm not use to such primitive methods, so of course I'd find it more painful than y-" Barry paused, eyes flicking up to meet hers in slight surprised. "Wait, was that a joke? Did you actually make a joke?"

"I'm goal-oriented, not humourless." Mineko said though her blank expression told otherwise. "Now, are you going to let me help you? Or are you going to complain some more?"

The woman lifted the bottle of alcohol to eye level and waited for an answer. Barry bit his lip anxiously but nodded nonetheless. The moment Mineko had tightened her grip on his arm and tilted the bottle over the cut he yelped and the woman paused.

"I have not even done it yet." She said, this time with a slight smirk twitching onto her face.

"Y-Yeah... Well, I'm just preparing myself that's all."

Mineko struggled to hide the amusement etched on her face, and even less to control it in her voice. "Well, if it helps, I will allow you to ask me those questions again."

Barry blinked oddly at her but at least he seemed distracted from the pain. "Will you actually answer them this time?"

"I do not see why not. You have proved that you can be trusted."

His eyes lit up at her words. For the first time since they'd met, he appeared genuinely comfortable. This time he truly believed that she'd tell him, and that they could finally work together to find Thawne without the awkward tension. "I want to know more about the Monastery. Whatever you're okay with telling me."

Mineko agreed, tipping the alcohol over his cut and making the man gasp at the suddenness. He may have whined again if she hadn't started speaking soon after. "I found the Monestary when I was ten years of age, they saw my potential and allowed me to train with their recruits."

Barry's face, that had been scrunched up from the pain, softened and his head jerked to the side in confusion. "You were... ten? And they just took you in, that's it? No questions, no parental permission?"

"There was no need. As far as the rest of the world was concerned I was dead." Mineko said with little to emotional connection to what she was saying. It made Barry wonder how she was so indifferent to such a thing. "The Okiya did not bother checking the accuracy of this information."

"Okiya?" Barry asked with a wince as she wrapped his arm in cloth.

"I am not sure of the correct translation. I can only assume that 'Geisha house' is what it would be called in English." She tied the cloth into a tight knot, and after one final examination of the rest of his injuries, she found that the remaining ones were only minor. "My parents were quite poor. It is not uncommon, in such cases, to sell your belongings; including your children. I was sold to an Okiya on the seventh year of my birth. I did not want to be a Geisha so I ran when I was old enough to understand what it would entail."

Instantly, Barry's expression dropped into a frown. He averted his gaze, now regretting ever asking her about it. He could only manage to mutter out an "I'm sorry".

"You do not need to apologise. It is not something that requires sympathy." She said with indifference. "The Monastery taught me how to fight, to harness my nature and protect my country. I am grateful to have a purpose."

Even now Barry didn't understand her. As she unravelled her own mysteries to him, he found himself more confused than ever. This was worse than mere curiosity because there were no explanations that could dim it. She, by her very being, was an unanswerable question. The way her mind worked, her personality, all of it was incomprehensible to him.

There was one thing he could finally grasp though. Despite her casualness to being abandoned and brought up in an undoubtedly pressure based environment, she was strong. Unemotional and harsh, yes, but still stronger than he could have been under those conditions. To this day he mourned the wrongs in his life, but she... just accepted it as reality and moved on.

"The Monestary," She continued after a moment of silence. "It splits us into two groups stemming from our fighting style - Kaze and Tsuchi."

Finally one of his bigger questions had been quenched. He unknowingly gave a sigh of relief. "So, that's why they called you Kaze... I was wondering about that."

"Kaze means wind, Tsuchi means earth. When they take you in they give you a sword and force you into battle with one of the elders. There have been a few deaths during this initiation, it is not their goal, but when using weapons casualties are inevitable. If you fight with your heels in the ground and rely on brute force, than you are a Tsuchi. If you are more evasive and precise than you are made a Kaze. When divided into these groups they teach you how to control that nature that lays dormant inside of you."

It was a lot to take in. So much so that Barry couldn't think of an actual relevant reply. All he could ask, with an awkwardness in his voice, was "What about fire and water?"

"Do not be so ridiculous. Fire is too chaotic to control, and water is too fluid. No one can harness their power, it is impossible."

"Oh... really?" Barry laughed, mind instantly recalling people like Firestorm and Mera. "Well, which one would I be?"

"I do not know. You seem to harness lightening when you run, which I previously thought impossible, but otherwise you are rather plain. It would be my assumption that you would have neither."

Barry's eyes narrowed at her. "Gee, thanks..."

For a split second, Mineko looked like her lips might break into a smile. She didn't quite make it there though, before she could her entire form stiffened and her eyes locked onto the distant wall. Barry, a little concerned, shook her shoulder with a quiet "What's wrong?"

She didn't answer for another second or so, and then she slowly broke out of her haze. "Fate contacted me." She said breathlessly. Barry honestly felt a little foolish for not figuring it out sooner. Fate could communicate through telekinesis if he chose, then again, he could do pretty much anything. "They have found Thawne."

Barry jumped out of his spot on the ground and twisted his ring. Mineko merely blinked and then he was dressed once more in his Flash costume. In slight shock, the woman jolted backwards. It was the first time Barry actually saw her physically react to something. He may have chuckled if he wasn't so focused on the task at hand.

"We need to go." He said sternly.

Mineko shook herself out of her own bewilderment and pushed back up to her feet. "We had best be quick. Fate informed me that Thane saw them heading to the North of here."

"Them?" Barry asked in a rushed tone.

"Someone's with him. They do not recognise her."

His face lost all colour beneath his helmet and he felt as if he might be sick. Knowing that anyone was with Thawne was an uncomfortable thought. Barry truly believed that the man was not entirely bad, or at least he wasn't always, but he was still dangerous anyway.

Mineko, sensing his stress, wasted no time in leading the way. She exited the shelter and started on her way down the pathway outside of it, but when she glanced backwards Barry had fallen face first into the dirt. He forced himself back up with a slightly embarrassed look and marched ahead of her before she could even ask what he had possibly tripped over... There was nothing there that could be considered an obstacle. Apparently he was a lot more clumsy than she originally gave him credit for, and that was quite an achievement.

The run to the place Thawne was last seen turned out to be longer than either of them had expected. No matter how far North they ran, they couldn't seem to find them. Barry's connection to the Speed Force had, apparently, been becoming much stronger the further they ran but he didn't want to risk using it in fear that it would dwindle away again. It wasn't worth wasting what could very well have been another flux in his powers.

Thankfully, they didn't need to rethink this decision. It took a while but Barry finally tugged Mineko's sleeve and pointed at two figures. They were in the middle of a forest, one lifting up the other.

"Thawne!" Barry yelled in annoyance and the man spun his head around with a feral growl.

It appeared as if the Reverse Flash wanted to say something, likely some cliche speech about how he was going to get his revenge. He decided against it though, and simply ignored that they were there altogether. In an instant, or at least close to it, he and the woman in his arms had disappeared but not before Mineko had sneaked a quick glance at her.

"He's going back..." Barry said with a furrowed brow. "What was the point of running if he was just going to leave of his own accord?"

"That woman, she is the leader of the Uesugi." Mineko spat out in pure guilt. "I was focusing so much on the Ashikaga clan that I did not predict that they were plotting something... She is dangerous, perhaps even more so than your 'Thawne'. We must return her to this era where her reign can be limited."

"Great, so that woman wasn't just some random chick that he seduced?" Barry groaned, now sounding more exhausted than ever. It was like this nightmare would never end.

"Unfortunately not. She has probably convinced him to assist her... She can be quite persuasive, which provides an even bigger threat to your future."

"So not only has she completely screwed the timeline by leaving the past, she has the capability to affect my future?"

"To rule your future, yes." Mineko said lowly. "That has been the clans goal for centuries now, to command the world under one country - one dictatorship."

"That doesn't sound good..."

"You have a gift for understatements, Ser Barry." Mineko sighed.

With a final look back at the forest they were in, The Flash gave an exhale similar to Mineko's. "I'll have to bring her back then."

"Is that possible with your power depleted?"

"The gaps in my Speed Force connection must have been a direct effect of pulling Thawne out of his own connection. When we landed here we were running through era's, and I forced him out before he'd reached his destination... and before my own could comprehend it. Time travel is a delicate matter, making a stop before you reach your goal is sure to have its side effects." Barry explained. "The fact that he was able to return to the future implies that the Speed Force has finally caught up with us completely, and so I should be able to use it without fault."

The best option, theoretically, would have been to go back in time a day or two and prevent them from leaving... but Thawne was just as fast and prepared as he was. He would have been expecting him to do that, and so going forward in time and bringing the clan leader back was the only option he could think of.

"Then I will accompany you." Mineko quickly said before the man could even consider leaving.

Barry's eyes widened at her suggestion as if he'd just heard the pleas of a mad woman. "Are you crazy? One person from the past is enough to destroy my whole future, could you imagine what two could do?"

"Perhaps a lot... Or nothing at all. It would depend on whether we caught the Uesagi clan's leader, correct?"

"Yeah but I really don't like messing with time, even these past few days have probably changed something."

"You have already altered it, so this should be harmless in comparison. If we don't catch her I will still return, it will be as if I was never there."

Barry scrunched his nose at the proposition but still shook his head in defiance.

"She is my responsibility, Barry." She said firmly, and The Flash immediately noticed the lack of 'Ser' before his name. "I need to capture her, I'm the only one that can."

"We have a lot of strong heroes in my future, taking her in will be easy."

"No, it will not. She's manipulative. Only people that have trained as extensively as I have will posses the discipline to resist her." Mineko grabbed his arm, in both a plea and a way of preventing him from leaving... not that it would have done any good if he had chosen to. "Please, I have put my trust in you. Now, it is your turn to do the same."

What she spoke of sounded like some sort of mind control, though he couldn't be certain of that. Either way bringing her to the future sounded like an asset they needed, but one that would be a gigantic pain in the ass.

It took him a long while of considering his options before Barry made up his mind. He really didn't want to take her, but she made a compelling argument. One that couldn't be ignored. With a hesitant gaze back in Mineko's direction, he extended his arms out and slumped his shoulders in defeat.

"Fine, but I'm gonna have to carry you." He said rather grumpily.

Mineko blinked at him, then at his arms in unease. "You... carry me? That does not sound safe."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

Mineko's lips tightened into a thin line. She was taller than him, admittedly not by much, but even one inch was enough to warrant her concern. She had always been the tallest woman on the streets, and she wasn't without mucle mass either. Years of training had made her lean but defined in her strength. Being 'picked up' by anyone did not appeal to her, especially when she doubted they could hold her weight.

"Only that I am too heavy for you." Is how she replied after a moment being trapped in her own thoughts.

"I'm stronger than I look." Barry quipped with a reassuring smile. "But, if you've changed your mind-"

Mineko's own stubbornness prevented him from finishing that sentence. She wrapped her arms around his neck, very uncomfortably, and jumped into him. Barry, despite now having full access to the Speed Force, was sluggish when he wasn't using it so he only barely caught her before she fell.

He found himself surprised at how heavy she was, though he wasn't going to vocalise it. Instead he decided to return to the future as soon as possible so he could finally put her down. As he began to run though, she became lighter. It was a reaction he often had from the Speed Force. He became more durable when using it, which was why he could crash into buildings without instantly dying, and apparently his strength was heightened as well. It wasn't anything akin to super strength, but it was enough for him to no longer struggle when carrying her through the time portal.

It took all of Mineko's strength to not panic at the lightening clashing, and the blurs of colour that morphed around them. Thankfully it didn't last longer than a minute or so before Barry began to slow down, and eventually, come to a complete halt.

The first thing he did was put Mineko down, or more accurately, he dropped her and she only barely managed to land on her feet - she had years of training to thank for that. The second thing he did was ponder to himself out loud.

"It's most likely that he came back to our original time period, if he arrived before this era there should be significant differences to the timeline. That will make it fairly simple to figure out. The problem will occur if he went further than this time - into a future beyond my own... I might have to confer with the Doctor Fate of this time period to know for certain."

While he spoke to himself Mineko stared at the apartment they had appeared in. Around her were dozens of metal constructions that she couldn't even begin to understand; things with images playing through glass and buzzing sounds originating from nowhere. She understood many things that others of her time didn't, and now all of a sudden she comprehended nothing. It was new, it was advanced, it was confusing.

In a somewhat bewildered and hazy state, the woman stumbled through Barry's apartment and over to the open window. Soft city lights glowed beyond it, through a pair of billowing blue curtains. Mineko's scarred hands parted the silk fabric. Phosphorus moonlight spilled into the dimly lit room and a majestic view of the skyline appeared with startling beauty. There wasn't a cloud in the star-speckled sky. Rows of towering skyscrapers stretched above her, their windows alight from within.

A half-moon hovered at the fringes of the luminous cityscape, where the red blinking lights of distant radio towers were twinkling in the night. An industrial-based smog of pollution coated the whole area, acting as a milky filter. The fog softened the hard lines of buildings, and diffused the orange glow of sodium-vapour street lamps.

Mineko felt as if she might suffocate whenever she took a breath. Not only was her head spinning at the new environment, but the air in that industrialised future was too thick - there wasn't enough actual oxygen in it. Her short nails dug into the wooden window frame as she stared out at the sea of lights, ones that at first glance, she thought were simply stars that had fallen from the sky.

She took a deep inhale, though with such a polluted atmosphere it didn't do her much good. Mineko was part of the Monastery. She was a member of the Defenders of the Realm.Though fear pumped through every fibre in her body, she had to ignore it. Mineko was not allowed the luxury of fear. She had a job to do and that was enough to keep her from malfunctioning for the time being.


	8. Eight

**_Chapter Eight: Orbital_**

Amazement didn't quite cover Mineko's reaction to the future. It felt like someone had taken her spark of wonder and poured on an entire barrel of kerosene. Words could not adequately reflect what she felt inside; like every neuron in her brain was trying to fire in both directions at once - never truly registering what she was seeing.

There wasn't much time for her to adapt to her new surroundings, which only added to her inner turmoil. Soon after arriving in the future Barry had convinced her to follow him to the Hall of Justice. This building was even more bewildering than Barry's apartment, and that was no small accomplishment. Almost every corner held a foreign machine, and the structure itself was the largest she had ever entered.

This entrance hall was adorned with colossal statues of strangely clothed men and women, known to Barry as the founding members of the Justice League, which of course included himself. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were at the centre of this formation, flanked by Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Barry as the Flash. Mineko's perception of Barry seemed to fall apart as she saw the statue built in his likeness. A statue that grand wasn't just given to everybody.

"What is this place? A temple? A place of worship?"

Barry rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "What? No... Well...maybe it might be similar. The...'ruling party' of this city had it built as a tribute to my team. The real kicker is over here."

Barry led Mineko over to a gigantic bulkhead, which had a touch screen panel on its side. Barry took this opportunity to flaunt his time's technology. "Have a look at this. This door recognises voices, and only opens to members of my team." He tapped the input screen and said clearly "The Flash."

After a single second of buffering, the door hissed, causing Mineko to cautiously take a step back. "Authorisation confirmed."

The reinforced steel door parted, and revealed a strange circular floor panel that glowed with white light.

"Okay, I know everything's been moving really fast, no pun intended, but I need to tell you where we're going. It might be... hard to understand."

Mineko huffed in amusement. "I'm no fool, Ser Barry."

"My team's base is in space. It's outside of our world. Not on Earth." Barry wasn't surprised when it appeared that Mineko didn't entirely grasp the idea of something being able to exist like that. "Why did I bother? Just step on the circle." Barry sighed.

Surprisingly, Mineko obliged without question. Either she trusted Barry more than she let on, or she had resigned herself to accepting anything that he said because she knew nothing of the future. At the moment it didn't matter what her reasons were as long as she cooperated.

The Watchtower was no doubt even harder for her to comprehend, but this time she didn't let it show. It was becoming obvious that Mineko had decided to just ignore the changes that future presented her until she caught her target. It would be too distracting if she was constantly anxious about the advancements in society. Still, Barry could tell that she was constantly being thrown off guard.

Barry strode to the centre of the massive room they stood in, and fiddled with one of the strange machines there. "Not everyone's available right now...but those that are will be on their way."

Mineko was confused at how Barry could've attained that information by playing with a toy. Soon enough, a blue blur came soaring through the darkness in the window, another thing that Mineko had simply accepted that she could not understand. Seconds followed, and a peculiar man came hurrying through one of nearby doors.

He was an incredibly large fellow...larger than Barry, who was far more muscular than any man Mineko had met. The man had a head of tidy black hair, a piercing gaze and a smile that made Mineko very weak at the knees. On his chest was a symbol that Mineko identified as the letter S in English.

"Sorry Flash, I was taking care of some asteroids; applying some course corrections. Am I late?" He apologised sincerely.

Barry shook his head with a sigh "Nah, you're early. As usual. Despite having to redirect tonnes of space rock with your hands."

The man shook his head modestly, then sent his attention to the woman that accompanied Barry. "Hi. I'm Superman."

"Superman...?" Mineko muttered.

"From what I understand, you aren't from around here, so to speak."

"I now understand where Ser Barry got his gift for understatement..." Mineko replied, though it wasn't clear whether she was joking or not. "You people of the future have strange names... 'Barry' and 'Superman'."

It quickly became obvious that Mineko had never considered the concept of code names, but as Barry face palmed himself at least several times in high speed, Superman chuckled at her comment. "Well, just to simplify things, you can call me Kal."

"I admit 'Ser Kal' is preferable over 'Ser Superman'..." The woman sighed.

"Look, you can just drop the 'Ser' altogether... you're not in the past anymore." Barry huffed. "It's just weird."

"Well, I think it's rather charming." Superman beamed at the woman and Barry glared at him in a way that said 'Do not encourage this.' "Now that you know our 'strange' names, I think it's only fair that I know yours."

"Mineko." She stated simply.

"Hang on a second..." Barry paused. "How did you know she's not from here?"

Superman chuckled, it was low and rumbled in his chest. "It doesn't take a genius to figure that out." He replied, gesturing towards the woman.

She wore an old, plain robe. It's beige surface was stained in dirt and mud from battles long past, there was even a patch of red on the right hip from a previous stab wound. On her feet were Geta, a type of saddle that had two planks of short wood on the bottom. It looked like a balancing act more than actual footwear... Lastly, her long hair was tied up with an ancient looking clip, but two strands were forced out on either side.

Barry had looked out of place and alien in the past, but Mineko just looked completely outdated.

"And Fate might have informed us as well." Superman added. Both of them suddenly wore nervous expressions, Barry's turning into outright panic. "Don't worry, I think you're safe... for now."

Before too long, Mineko was overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of a duo of other oddly dressed people. One of them wore a black cowl that shielded the top half of his face, with the image of a black bat on his torso. The other was a...green man with blue robes and red eyes. Mineko was startled by his strange appearance...

"She shouldn't be here." Batman growled.

Barry rolled his eyes and Mineko narrowed hers.

"You should know by now how dangerous--"

The Martian Manhunter raised a hand to Batman and spoke sternly yet softly "That is inappropriate. Calm yourself. She has been through enough hardship."

Mineko was quite frankly confused at how and why the green man defended her so quickly.

Barry stepped forward. "I second that. Besides, Fate would've told you guys what happened. This... clan leader single-handedly knocked entire dynasties over. We need someone who knows what we're up against."

"Fate said she'd be of help, Batman. If anyone can tell us whether she's needed, it's him." Superman added.

The cowl-covered man's frown seemed to intensify at their words, apparently that still didn't change his stance on the matter. Nevertheless, he decided not to protest any further... Especially since his opinion was the minority.

"I will leave as soon as we capture this criminal." Mineko said, arms folded and dark eyes still glaring in Batman's direction.

"Well, in that case, what can you tell us about our other visitor?" Superman asked curiously.

"She's the leader of a clan called the Uesugi. Her followers refer to her as 'Yami'."

"Can she do anything?" Barry questioned. "I mean... similar to what you can do."

"Much more." Mineko admitted gravely. "I have been trained both body and mind, but as far as what you call 'powers' go, I can merely slightly control the wind. Leaders of the Uesugi clan all derive from the same bloodline, one with a remarkable influence over the mind."

"Telepathy?" Barry suggested. "Telekenesis? Magic?"

"Perhaps all, maybe none. I never fully understood it. Only the bloodline knows that for certain." Mineko continued. "We are trained to resist their attempts at penetrating our minds but it does make her extremely dangerous to others. She has also trained in ancient and forbidden techniques, ones that allow her to manipulate shadows."

Superman crossed his arms. "She sounds dangerous..."

"On her own she is already quite formidable...but she will have an army by the time we find her. Her influence on the minds of others will ensure that she has agents in major seats of power."

Manhunter scowled. "It would seem with recent advancements, her goal may be much more achievable. We can travel from one country to another in a matter of hours, it would be much too easy for her influence to spread."

"And that's if she doesn't grab hold of Justice League or S.T.A.R Labs technology." Barry added. "Then it would only be minutes."

"Well, I for one have heard enough to convince me that she's a threat." Superman finally spoke again. "We should start search parties and spread the word immediately, keep an eye out wherever you can."

"Agreed." Manhunter said. "I believe that is all the information we require for now. However, if Mineko has any questions about our time we should answer them before we leave."

"I'm sure she's f-" Barry started, but was quickly interrupted by the samurai.

"What is this 'outer space' Ser Barry mentioned?" She asked, trying with immense difficulty to conceal her growing curiosity.

Barry, always keen to explain science to his to newcomers instantly remarked "It's the empty space beyond our planet."

"I don't think that helped at all." Superman chuckled.

"Why don't you try it then, farm boy? I'm sure you've had to explain that the world isn't flat to your high school friends."

Superman shrugged. "I guess...it's just the next thing above the sky."

Mineko rubbed her chin. "...So it is the heavens?"

"Uh...not exactly." Superman muttered.

Martian Manhunter then promptly chimed in "From what I understand, many modes of belief from your time period insisted on the existence of other realms; with our Earth being one of them."

"Yes, this is true."

"Think of this blackness as the space between realms. And the stars," Manhunter gestured out the nearby window "are the suns of other realms."

Mineko nodded enthusiastically. "Shocking, someone who explains things in a way that makes sense."

Superman smiled, seeming genuinely glad that someone could make her feel at least a bit more comfortable here.

"Great, now I don't understand..." Barry said half-jokingly, though he truly couldn't comprehend how that made sense at all to her.

By the time Superman and Martian decided to take their leave, Batman had already gone. Presumably he had returned to his bat cave after receiving Mineko's information. Superman had commented on how rude it was that he left without informing anyone, but he was so use to it that his complaint sounded half-hearted.

"I guess you can bunk with me for the time being." Barry said as they beamed back down to the Hall of Justice. "You shouldn't be staying for long anyway."

"I am humbled by your offer, Ser Barry, but we must conduct our search immediately."

"Hey...you need some rest first, alright?"

Mineko rubbed her brow slowly. "Unacceptable."

"You took me in when I was in over my head, so the honourable thing to do would be to let me return the favour." Barry argued smugly and confidently, knowing that it would push the right buttons.

"You were made my responsible, it was an order."

"Yeah... Well, this is an order as well." He replied, watching the woman's face contort into uncertainty. "My time, my rules."

It looked like she wanted to argue, but quickly decided against it. Having an escort for this strange era would definitely make things easier. If he didn't take her in, she was likely to find trouble somewhere; either by being unaware of the laws or simply getting lost.

"Very well..." She finally agreed with a discreet exhale. "You have my gratitude."

Barry noticed a rather awkward delivery boy standing at the doors into the Hall. The boy waved, star struck, at the Flash, who seemed to teleport from his place with Mineko and appeared in front of the pizza boy.

"Hey Gary, thanks a bunch!" Barry said gratefully as he seized the two flat boxes that the young man held. Despite the fact that he made many deliveries to The Flash before, he was still as speechless as he was on the first day.

Barry paced slowly back towards Mineko, flipping one of the boxes open, lifting a slice of fresh pizza out of it and instantly scoffing it down like an animal.

"You are disgusting."

Barry, who couldn't possibly consider being upset whilst eating pizza, shrugged his broad shoulders and spoke with a full mouth "You're just saying that because you've never tried it."

He pushed the box in front of her, the small wafting down Mineko's nose and making her gag. "I refuse to partake in your revolting habits."

"Dude, it's just pizza."

"It looks like an entire tub of grease was poured over it." Mineko said, crossing her arms in disapproval. "It is unhealthy, it will clog your heart."

Barry, still chewing, directed towards his chest with a hand that was still grasping a slice. "I have a good heart, it'll be fine."

"If you continue eating it, that will change."

"Come on, you need to try and embrace this era." Barry tried to convince her. "If you're going to be living here, you need to get use to the customs."

Mineko turned her nose up at the meal, but she couldn't exactly disagree with him. As if she was about to pick up the rotting corpse of a small animal, Mineko cringed as she slowly plucked a slice of oily, cheese-covered bread from the box.

"That's the spirit." Barry encouraged, stuffing his own mouth with the stuff.

Mineko's heartbeat climbed and her fingers trembled as they piloted the revolting item of food towards her mouth. Then, she took one small and hesitant bite off the end... freezing as soon as the taste touched her tongue.

Barry blinked at her curiously but didn't cease eating for long enough to ask if she was alright, or even if she liked it. Thankfully, he didn't have to.

After exactly two seconds the woman hurried outside to spit the pizza out onto the grass. Barry felt as if he'd witnessed some sort of crime... it had to be illegal to waste pizza like that.

"You... hate it that much?" He asked in a mixture of surprise and sorrow as he mourned that single bite that had been so sorely mistreated.

"It is delicious..." She went silent for a moment before continuing "I despise it."

"Wait what? That doesn't make any sense!"

"It is a poison to the body, disguised by its taste." She said with a stern expression. "I can already feel it's addictive qualities tainting my mind."

"Ahh... Okay?" Barry shook his head. "You really are too strict, you know that?"

"I must keep my body in the best shape possible to continue fighting. It is not acceptable to eat such junk."

Barry rolled his eyes at her. "Well, your loss. That just leaves more for me."

He chucked one of the boxes in a nearby bin, having already finished the entire thing, then opened the second one and started eating again. He had to be grateful for that abnormally fast metabolism of his...

Whilst Mineko stared at him in absolute disbelief that he could eat so much, he continued back down the pathway and waved his hand for her to follow. She did so, but with judgemental eyes as he chowed down on the deliciously unhealthy meal... Perhaps she was even a little jealous. She had never tasted anything so sinfully good before, but her training forbade it.

Already, the best and worst that the future had to offer was in that box, and whilst Barry continued finishing his second helping of the stuff, Mineko was left to wonder why anyone would want to make something so unhealthy taste that incredible... The future truly was a dark place.


	9. Nine

**_Chapter Nine: The Rogues_**

Barry fumbled for his apartment keys at his door, balancing a tower of pizza boxes topped with various bags of fast food in his other hand and a hamburger crammed into his mouth.

Almost immediately after leaving for his food run, he'd realised that it might have been a bad idea to leave Mineko in his apartment alone. She was technically still new to this era, and there were many thing that he still hadn't explained to her.

Barry, being the mostly carefree person that he was, had shrugged off his scepticism without another thought. He assumed that Mineko would be level headed about anything she encountered.

Finally grabbing hold of his keys, Barry slipped them into the lock and opened the door. He struggled to enter the building carrying so many edibles, but somehow managed it. With a sigh he pushed the door closed with his back and turned his attention to the apartment.

His jaw dropped and the burger that had been secured between his teeth splattered onto the floor. That was the least of his concerns though... It looked like his entire apartment had been trashed by vandals or robbers. There were books scattered across the ground, their contents spilling out. His gadgets and tools were in the exact same place, some were dented, others were bent.

Finally, Barry's eyes made it to the action figures that appeared half destroyed in the middle of the room. He dropped the food he had been holding, luckily all still packaged and wrapped, then rushed over to the collectibles. They were his favourite ones... action figures of Scotty, Doctor McCoy, and Spock from the Star Trek original series. He had been waiting to find one of Captain Kirk to join them...

Scotty's red uniform was all but torn apart, McCoy's head had been popped off, and Spock was missing an entire arm. It was a slaughter.

Barry moved Spock's only remaining arm with an air of solace. "Live long and prosper, little buddy. I'll find out who did this to you..."

As if the universe was providing him with an answer for this heinous crime, he heard something smash in the next room. Spock still in hand, Barry darted into the area he had heard the noise coming from, only to see Mineko standing there with her sword.

"What's going on here?" Barry said in an exasperated tone. "Is there someone in the house? Did someone rob me?"

"There are people trapped in that device." Mineko stated lowly. "We must free them."

It was only now that Barry realised where she was pointing her Katana. The sharp end of her blade gleamed toward the television, the images reflecting off its metal surface. A movie was on; Alien, to be exact.

Barry cocked an eyebrow at her as she continued staring at the television screen. Mineko continued "There is a monster-like creature chasing them, we must pull the people out before it discovers them."

"O-Oh, I get it..." Barry finally said with a nervous laugh. He stepped closer to the woman and placed his free hand on the hilt of her sword to lower it. "I, uh, don't know how I can possibly explain this to you but they're not really there."

Mineko, face contorting in absolute confusion, glanced back at the screen. "That makes little sense. I can see them, there is no other explanation."

Barry frowned. This was going to be a difficult one to make her understand. He couldn't say anything as simple as 'It's a movie', because she wouldn't know what that is. He couldn't say 'they use a video camera to record fabricated events' because she would have no clue what a photograph was, let alone a video.

"Umm... W-Well, it's a telecommunication medium used for transmitting moving images."

This didn't seem to help. Mineko still stared at him as if he were speaking gibberish. "I do not understand." She stated, though she didn't have to with such a bewildered look on her face.

"Look, how about we discuss this after I find out what happened to my apartment." Barry sighed heavily.

Mineko's head tilted to the side. "Is there something amiss?"

"Is that a serious question? This place is a mess!" Barry huffed. "I'm not much of a clean freak so that wouldn't bother me if half of my stuff wasn't broken."

"Oh..." Mineko averted her eyes. "I was curious about your era, and so I investigated the materials that you stored in the house."

"You mean you did this?!"

"I attempted to read your books but they made very little sense to me... Then I found some strange bits of 'technology', as you call it. However, I could not figure out their function." Mineko picked up the mobile Barry had forgotten to take with him from the floor. "Take this, for instance. I figured it would have some important use because I spotted many people carrying them throughout the city. I analysed your current era, and came to the conclusion that chopping wood must be very important in this time."

Barry's face scrunched, and he wasn't sure if it was in amusement or plain confusion. "What gave you that impression...?"

"You have very grand structures here, I assumed that many of them were made from wood. You also rely greatly on paper, which from what I can recall, is also made of wood." Mineko held the phone out to Barry and he now saw the scratches and cracks in its surface. "I attempted pressing these little devices with the letters on them whilst pointing it at a nearby tree, but it did nothing. I then threw it at said tree... and that was as useful as tossing a shoe at it."

"Mineko, w-we don't..." Barry was lost for words. He had never witnessed anyone fail so severely at fitting in, not even himself. "We don't cut our own wood here."

"How do you gather it for the fireplace then?"

"We get someone else to do it." Barry grumbled as he checked his mobile for any unfixable destruction. Thankfully, his phone was an old Nokia and so it would take the might of Zeus to break it.

"That is quite odd.." Mineko said in a disapproving tone. "Or it's simple laziness."

Barry sighed "It's not for chopping wood. It's a phone. We use it to talk to people."

"...Why do you need a device to speak to others? We are conversing just fine at the moment."

"No, no, it's...it's for talking to people who aren't in the same room. You can use it to talk to people who are far away."

Mineko's eyes sharpened. "...I...don't understand."

"Look, I'll show you." Barry tapped several times on the screen and called Wally West on speakerphone; his friend and crimefighting partner, Kid Flash.

A ringing sound came from the device and Mineko's stare intensified on it. Suddenly there was a click and a youthful, eccentric voice came from the other end. "Hellooo?" It melodically called.

"What's up, Wally?"

"Uh. Nothing. Nothing at all. You alright?"

"Nope."

There was a tense pause. "...Uh...do you...need my help...?"

"Nope."

Mineko pressed her face up into Barry's phone, amazed. "Where is this Wally person? Can he hear me? Hello?"

"Wow, hey, back up from the mic." Wally grumbled, and Barry pulled the phone away from her. "Who is that?"

"It's a long story." Barry replied with a heavy exhale.

Mineko, still focused entirely on the device, continued to ponder the possibilities. "Is he trapped inside the object?"

"She's a samurai from the 1400s."

"Whoa! You went time-travelling without me?! Dude, are you and the samurai like...you know..."

"No. We're not."

"Not yet."

"Shut up, Flash Boy."

There was another moment of complete quiet before Wally gave a exasperated sigh. "That's cold, man. It's bad enough that Thawne showed up from the future and stole my colour scheme... Now ninety percent of the population's getting my name wrong. Now why the hell did you call me?"

"I wanted to show the new chick how my phone works."

"Oh..." Wally said, surprisingly not too upset at being called for such a petty reason. "So, she dig it?"

Barry glanced at the woman beside him who was listening intently to Wally's voice. "She digs it."

"We should show her Skype."

"No no no, baby steps dude." Barry replied quickly. "If you saw the state of my apartment you wouldn't be saying that... She decapitated Doctor McCoy."

"No!" Wally gasped. "Not Bones!"

"Are you referring to the small idol you had perched on your cupboard?" Mineko asked curiously. "If so, I fail to see the dilemma. Could you not just make a new one?"

"Wow... She doesn't even know about capitalism. This must be like waking up on a different planet to her." Wally said.

Barry walked back towards the front door to pick up his food. He placed it all on the kitchen counter and took out a large chicken wing. Mineko was still watching the entire time, even when he bit into the crispy skin. "Yeah... That's one way of putting it."

Suddenly, a shrill tone emanated from Barry's police radio on his mantle. "10-4, corner of Keller and Allred. 10-4 in progress." The gravelly quality of the sound gave Mineko a shock.

"Is that broken?" She asked with her hands on her ears.

"Sorry Wally, gotta split."

"Hey, what's going on? Don't hang u-" A clicking sound followed his voice and cut off his sentence.

Barry removed his finger from the red button and threw his phone onto the couch. In less than a second he had gotten dressed into his Flash costume. He stopped for long enough that Mineko got a glimpse of him leaving.

"I'll be back in a Flash." He quipped with a proud smirk.

Barry vanished with a bolt of lightning, and Mineko blinked while her mind started registering the fact that he was no longer in the room. She waited exactly eight minutes and twenty seconds, the amount of time it takes sunlight from the Sun to reach Earth... according to Barry.

Mineko then sharpened her sword against the kitchen counter, leaving a large gash in the metal, and then left the apartment.

It wasn't difficult for Mineko to find her way to the trouble since many pedestrians automatically pointed her to the commotion. Walking around with a samurai sword in hand isn't exactly low profile.

Mineko was baffled by the wealth of strangely outfitted people tousling about down the street. It was mainly Barry running circles around these criminals.

Unknown to Mineko, these costumed characters were The Rogues; Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, Heatwave and Weather Wizard.

"Oi, who's this then?" Boomerang snarled, spying Mineko as she came sprinting in his direction.

He whipped a hand forward, sending a curved projectile flying at her. The boomerang sliced through the air, and another answered it. Mineko raised her sword hand and her blade struck the first rang, sending it spinning out of control and impacting the side of a bus stand.

The second continued on its path, but instead suddenly separated into two blades only a split second before they came into contact with Mineko's body.

Effortlessly, Mineko weaved through the air and slapped them away as if they were nothing but toys.

The grizzled Captain Boomerang smirked. "Not bad, love. Not bad at all. This one's a ripper though."

The man squeezed an arming key on one last boomerang and tossed it with extreme precision. Mineko took a breath, paused, then swiped her blade upward.

With its arcing motion came a sudden gust of wind, which propelled the lethal projectile up into the sky. Within seconds, it detonated in a blossoming crimson flower of fire and force.

Boomerang was frozen with awe as the samurai took steps towards him, but managed one last sleight of hand before calling it quits. With speed that alarmed even Mineko, Boomerang sent a flurry of his namesakes flying at his foe.

Although impressive, his speed was nothing compared to Mineko's. She twirled, spun her blade and danced through the onslaught, both dodging and deflecting the attacks.

She paused half a metre away from the long-range specialist. "Fair dinkum..." He sighed.

Not quite understanding this phrase at all, Mineko furrowed her brow in response, then thrusted the pommel of her katana into the Australian criminal's forehead. With a crack, he fell to the ground like a sack of stones.

Mineko was more than a little surprised by the ease in which that villain was defeated... And if she could do it this easily, Barry must have seen it as child's play. She failed to see why they kept trying to fight against him when they knew it was fruitless.

"Any last words as free men before I send you all back to prison?" The Flash smirked.

"Only that if you take us in you'll never find out where we hid the bomb." Heat wave said slyly. "I'll narrow it down for you. It's somewhere in Central City."

Weather Wizard cackled, and Captain Cold gave a slightly amused huff. Whilst they expressed their entertainment at the dilemma, The Flash had already searched through the entirety of the city.

Heatwave locked Mineko in his sights and sent a burst of heat at her from his heat gun. As easily as she did with Boomerang, Mineko cleaved through the air and created an updraft that curved the fire into the sky like a red tornado.

She bounded at Heatwave with a flying kick, knocking him off of his feet and onto the ground. The back of his head slapped against the pavement, rendering him unconscious instantly.

Weather Wizard quickly entered the fray, screaming in exertion as he spun and pointed his wand at Mineko quite dramatically. Mineko jolted, expecting some kind of attack from this sorcerer's spell...but only saw a black cloud form above her head.

There was a crack of thunder before rain began pouring down onto Mineko... and no one else.

Weather Wizard's eyes widened as Captain Cold snarled "...What the hell was that?!"

"Stupid thing!" The Wizard struck his device with a snarl, and a bolt of lightning howled out of the rod's tip.

If it wasn't for Weather Wizard's poor aim, Mineko would've been reduced to a pile of ash.

"That's more like it!" Weather Wizard declared triumphantly, not looking too sure on how he had finally gotten his wand to work.

With an acrobatic twirl and a keen eye, Mineko pegged her katana at the Wizard, who missed again and again with his bolts. The sword buried itself into Weather Wizard's side, and he howled in pain.

"Dammit, you bitch!" Cold hissed, bringing his cold gun to arms and squeezing the trigger.

These projectiles, whilst extremely fast, were easier for Mineko to evade as she inhaled deeply. She pressed her hands together and closed her eyes for a split second, then thruster her hands forward.

A burst of air barrelled forward and knocked Cold off of his feet and sent him flying into a parked car, smashing the windows and denting the car door with his back. Groaning, Cold's face planted into the pavement.

With all the rogues defeated, there was nothing else but to wait for The Flash to return... when he did, however, his face was plastered in sweat and dread.

"I can't find the bomb! I've looked in every visible place in the city at least a dozen times each..." He said in a panic.

"If I were one plagued by dishonour I would not hide my weapon in plain sight." Mineko pointed out, sheathing her blade.

"Oh... Good thinking." Barry said with a nod. He pressed a button on his ear piece, then spoke again "Superman?"

"What...?" Mineko said in confusion.

"Oh sorry, there's a phone in my mask." Barry apologised genuinely to the puzzled warrior.

Mineko's eyes lit up with amazement "Fascinating..."

Barry tried to hail his old friend once again. "Supes? You there?"

Soon enough, a calm and cool voice entered Barry's ears. "Always am, Barry. What do you need?"

"The Rogues put a bomb in Central somewhere...I need you to give it a little scan."

Cold's grizzled voice suddenly interrupted from somewhere on the floor "You think we're that stupid?! We covered the thing in lead."

Barry turned and saw that Mineko had secured Cold's weapon.

"Shut up Leonard. If you can see through everything, the one thing you can't see through is gonna be a little suspect, isn't it?" The Flash pointed out.

"Aw shit..." Cold sighed.

Superman promptly returned "Got it, Town Hall level three, hidden behind the wall by the bathroom. The wall looks like it's been re-plastered so it's a little out of place."

"Dammit, I checked there twice. It's always the town hall or something, it's never a fast food joint or a GameStop."

"They're a predictable bunch, pal."

"Thanks for the assist. You're a lifesaver."

"So are you. Take care of yourself."

Soon after they had finished their conversation, The Flash disappeared then reappeared faster than the human eye could detect. To someone like Mineko, one minute he was talking to Superman and the next he was holding a disarmed bomb.

"Any more surprises?" The Flash said, tossing the now useless weapon onto the ground. "Because I'm getting a bit hungry."

It wasn't long before Central City PD arrived to secure the scene and pile the Rouges onto a wagon for lock up.

An officer approached Barry and reported "Nice work... That bomb was bad news. It would've wiped out five city blocks."

"It was a team effort. You can thank Big Blue from Metropolis and my friend here." Barry gestured at a confused Mineko.

The officer's mouth dropped. "Oh, she a new Leaguer?"

"Not quite, but we'll see. We'd best be going."

As they walked away Mineko was still baffled and turning her head to stare at the officer. "Who are those people? Are they the leaders of this place? Are they the Emperor's protectors?"

"They're a bit like protectors, I guess." The Flash shrugged. Before he continued his sentence he had already changed into his casual clothing. "But not really for an Emperor... We don't have those here. They kind of keep the public safe... or they're suppose to... Kind of like protectors of everyone."

"You sound unsure if they actually do as you say." Mineko said, eyebrow's furrowing.

"It's... complicated. They're people, they have their own minds and ambitions. Some of them do a good job and some don't."

"That is contradictory. Duty and personal gain are seperate entities, they should never intermingle."

"Well, they do here." Barry sighed as they finally reached his apartment. "Thanks for the help back there, by the way."

"You could have easily defeated them without me." Mineko stated simply.

"Y-Yeah... but that's not the point." Barry opened the door and rushed over to the food on his counter. He brought it to his lips, readying himself to start eating again, before his eyes met Mineko's again. She didn't show it but he knew she must have been hungry. "Umm... What do you like to eat?"

"Vegetables, Wheat, Rice, Seafood..." Mineko frowned. "But I am unsure whether I will like anything from your time... Everything here has been altered. Even the fruit tastes like poison."

"Yeah, they... spray a lot of pesticide and stuff on it." Barry rubbed the back of his head. "You've still gotta eat though, you can't help us if you starve to death."

Mineko seemed to agree with this statement but her lips tightened all the same. "Do you have anything that is not soaking in chemicals?"

"Well, I mean, there's a Sushi place around the corner... Their stuff's alright, I think. I mean, it's essentially just rice and raw fish, I don't see why they'd need to taint it."

"That will have to suffice."

Barry nodded then scooped up the bags of takeout he'd left in his apartment. With his arms now full, he dove his head into one of the bags and caught a bunch of fries between his teeth.

"Alrigh'. Let's go, I'm starving." He replied with a full mouth, implying that he was going to eat at the Sushi place as well.

Mineko exhaled slowly but followed him anyway. She felt as if she'd spent most of her time in the future just watching Barry stuff his face... and it didn't look like that was going to change any time soon.


	10. Ten

**_Chapter Ten: The Final Frontier_**

"So now that you understand radio and cameras, you might be able to start comprehending video." Barry said, crossing his legs and straightening his back. It gave a light crack and he sighed in relief. "We can see things because they reflect light into our eyes. An ordinary camera photographs things by capturing this light on light-sensitive film or using electronic light-detectors to make a snapshot of how something appeared at a particular moment."

Mineko nodded with a whole new understanding of the world. She glanced at the graphs and scribbles of paper that littered the floor around them for verification. Barry had spent the entire day explaining how things work to her, writing down certain elements to help her understand and drawing terrible images for her to reference.

"A TV camera works in a different way: it has to capture a new snapshot over 24 times per second to create the illusion of a moving picture." Barry continued.

"So, it is like a camera that takes singular pictures but is capturing thousands?" Mineko asked curiously. "And it is not that they are trapped inside... it is just a glimpse of the moment?"

"Exactly!" Barry replied with a giant grin on his face. To anyone else explaining these things would be both taxing and tedious, but to him it was satisfying. It was a challenge to provide a general understanding of science to a person from the 1400s, and when it came to science, Barry loved a challenge.

"But there is another aspect of this that I still do not understand." Mineko mumbled lowly.

"Yes?"

"With the thing you call 'movies', why do people pretend to be chased by monsters and extra terrestrial beings?"

"Oh..." Barry said, stretching nhis hand back to scratch his neck. "I... well, it's for... entertainment?"

Mineko's once curious expression morphed into surprise, then disgust. "That is revolting!" She boomed loudly enough for her voice to echo off the apartment walls. "There is enough violence in our reality, why would people desire to see more?"

Barry's lips formed into a tight line. He wasn't entirely sure himself, and he certainly didn't have an answer that could be deemed sufficient. "I guess it's like an outlet?... Y-Yeah, that's it. We watch that stuff to satisfy our own violent tendencies, and so we don't turn to violence in real life."

Mineko scrunched her nose up at his response. "Does it work?"

"... Sometimes?"

Mineko's head turned to the side in confusion. If it didn't work, then what was its purpose? Despite being from a century without such great strides in science and technology, her mind was a logical one. If it had no reason to exist, then why did it?

As Barry continued in his efforts to explain this phenomenon, the front door was being pushed open. Wally, who had grown worried after the abrupt phone call, stepped into the apartment only to hear a crunch beneath his foot.

Wally jumped back in surprise with a quiet yelp. When he finally gathered the courage to glance at what he had stood on, he saw nothing more than a piece of paper... No, hundreds of them. All scattered about the apartment and covering any sign of the carpet.

Wally simply blinked at the mess then, finally, leaned down to pick up the sheet under his shoe. His eyes scanned the writing, noticing the badly drawn picture of Einstein in the corner...which Wally, initially, thought was meant to be some new breed of pig.

'The speed of light' was written at the very top of the page and Wally instantly

recognised it as Barry's handwriting; barely intelligible and rushed. 'Our lord and saviour, Albert Einstein, explains that light always travels at the same speed for every observer, regardless of if the observer is moving at their own speed. If you could travel at the speed of light, you could go around the Earth 7.5 times in one second.'

Wally raised an eyebrow at this and skipped to the bottom where there was a small footnote. 'Important: Light Speed is a constant and, theoretically, nothing can travel faster than it... except maybe me.'

It was confusing, to say the least, seeing Barry writing down what he was already well aware of. It was like a toddler repeating their own name over and over again... Barry was so knowledgable on the subject that there was no need to jot it down.

"Uhh..." Wally started, eyes still fixed on the sea of pages. "Barry...?"

"In here!" The answer came from the living room. Wally, very cautiously stepped over the pools of paper, only stopping when he spotted a familiar figure on the ground, broken and deserted.

"Bones...!" He said intensely, picking up the action figures body and head in seperate hands. "What have they done to you?"

He walked into the living room, palms extended outward and holding Dr McCoy's decapitated figure. Now he could see Barry clearly, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room with a woman. She was wearing a baggy robe, her long black hair left free to graze against her back.

"Who are you?" Wally asked cluelessly.

"I am Mineko of the Eicho monestary." She replied as if it had been rehearsed over a thousand times. "We spoke from a distance on Ser Barry's telecommunication device."

Wally stared at her then the sword on a nearby table in disbelief. "You... really did bring back a samurai."

"Yep." Was Barry's only response.

"Awesome." Wally gleamed. "I didn't even know there were any female samurai that far back... Ah, no offence."

"Your ignorance towards the history of my country is forgiven, as I am also quite uneducated about yours." Mineko replied formally.

"I think you can be excused on that account." Barry spoke up. "You were from an era without multiculturalism, and before globalisation had made any effect."

"Still, I must know more if I am to stay." Mineko replied, determination shimmering in her dark brown eyes. "But to quench your curiosity, in Japan samurai are called Bushi. Female warriors within this class are given the name Onna-bugeisha."

"That's so cool!" Wally grinned goofily and sat down beside them. "Don't you think so, Ser Barry." He teased.

"... Don't start."

Wally chuckled at the look on Barry's face, but Mineko was left in confusion. 'Ser' was a sign of respect where she came from, one that was not to be taken lightly. So, when Barry asked for the tenth time that she cease using it, she was deeply troubled by the request.

Thankfully, as long as Wally was there, she didn't have to linger on the issue for long. "Hey, so you're the one that broke Dr McCoy?"

"The figure that Barry was raving about?" Mineko raised an eyebrow at him. "I was curious about its inner workings, only to find it hollow and not made of wood like I had suspected... Can you not just fix it?"

"I suppose we could super glue him back together-"

"Are you crazy?!" Barry suddenly yelled over him. "It's a first edition figure! It cost more than you'll ever make in one sitting, you can't just stick glue into it!"

Wally raised his hands in playful surrender. "Jeez, sorry. Thought it was better than chucking the whole figure out."

Barry, of course knew that this was the logical action... but he wasn't about to inform Wally that he was correct. "Don't you have something better to do?" He said lowly, grumbling to himself as Wally continued to beam at him.

"Something better than talk to a 600 hundred year old warrior?" Wally said giddily. "Nah, don't think I do."

"She's here for a reason, Wally." Barry sighed. "That reason isn't to be subjected to your staring."

"Oh, right... What is the reason then?"

"Thawne... He brought someone here from her time." Barry said lowly. "Someone that, apparently, we can't defeat without her thorough understanding."

"There's... two of them here?" Wally blinked oddly before smiling again. "Cool."

"I fail to understand what is so amusing about this." Mineko finally spoke. "She is a danger to you and your world."

"So awesome." Wally said absent-minded, and extremely excitable. "I gotta tell Jesse about this."

"No, don't tell-" But, as expected, it was too late. Wally was already gone and Barry didn't have the time or energy to chase after him. The boy huffed in irritation at his fellow speedster. Wally could never keep his mouth shut about anything, and now another of his speedster comrades, Jesse Chambers, was going to know all about it.

"He is... like you?" Mineko asked after realising that Wally had disappeared.

"Yeah." Barry answered shortly.

"Are there others?"

"... Yeah."

"And they wear those odd costumes as well?"

"They're not odd, they're heroic!" Barry defended, puffing out his chest. "They make us look cool!"

Mineko's expression scrunched up, and for a split second it looked like she might laugh. She didn't though. "I can assure you, they are not as aesthetically pleasing as you seem to think."

Barry pursed his lips almost childishly and averted his gaze from her. "Well, it's cool in this era!"

Mineko struggled this time to remain silent. She was positive that it wouldn't be considered desirable in any time period, not even this one.

"I-It's primarily meant to conceal our identities anyway..."

"Oh, so that they do not accuse you of sorcery?"

"Well... I mean, that's not really an issue anymore." Barry pushed back to his feet and in an instant had cleaned up all the paper from the floor.

Mineko stared at his handiwork in the usual awe that his speed left her in, then quickly shook her head to snap out of it. "Why then?"

"So we can lead normal lives."

Mineko, though she didn't understand it, could tell that this conversation was one that made Barry uncomfortable. He obviously wasn't use to discussing these things with others. Instead the woman glanced around the apartment for another topic of discussion, finally finding a few framed photographs on a nearby desk.

"These are... taken with camera you mentioned earlier?" She asked curiously, picking one up that looked to be of him and his father.

"Yeah, pretty neat, huh?"

Mineko nodded, placing the picture down and reaching for another. This one had a woman in it. Her hair was brown with a slight sheen of red in the illuminating light, and her eyes were pools of warm summer rays. "Who is this?"

"That's..." Barry trailed off when he saw what she was holding. Sorrow flashed across his face and he grabbed the frame, a little too aggressively, from her hands. "No one."

"Judging by your reaction it is difficult to believe that."

Barry exhaled sharply and wiped the glass of any dust. He touched it so delicately... as if he was afraid he'd break it, or that the girl would fade from the image if he pressed too hard. Finally, Barry placed it back on the desk with a heavy heart. "Her name was Iris... She was special to me. That's all you have to know."

Mineko's eyes dared to peek once more at the photo. He didn't need to say any more for her to understand it. He had loved her, and she had died. It was all in his expression. She wished desperately that she could sympathise with the man, but she had never known love... and never had the misfortune of losing it. She figured that it was better that way. You can't lose something that you never had in the first place.

Mineko's fingers twitched at her side, longing to comfort the heartbroken figure in front of her... but she kept them firmly in place. She had no experience in dealing with such strong emotions and she feared that she'd only make it worse. The urge to mutter an apology jolted to mind, but instead she slinked into the hallway without another word. Privacy was all that she could offer him at a time like this.


	11. Eleven

**_Chapter Eleven: Concrete Jungle_**

Mineko was not a sympathetic person. It came with the training she underwent to become an Onna-bugeisha. She thought of nothing but the safety of the world, so she was usually completely oblivious to people's personal problems. That's why when she noticed that Barry was acting out of the ordinary, she was surprised in herself.

Barry, though she hated to admit it, was the closest thing that she'd ever had to a friend. Perhaps that's why she was so aware of his emotions... regardless, the reason didn't seem to matter anymore. It was distracting her from her duty, and so the most logical course of action was to eradicate it - meaning that she'd have to attempt to cheer him up.

The idea itself was already a horrible one. She knew nothing of this new world, nor of the people within it. She wasn't even sure where Barry worked. However, the overwhelming need to be rid of this guilt welling in her stomach persisted. After all, she was the one that brought up the 'Iris' woman, and that was exactly when Barry started moping.

In short, this lead her straight into a den of chaos simply called the 'mall'. People crowded the area in a chorus of voices; pushing, shoving, and most annoying of all, walking extremely slowly in front of her. It was a nightmare if Mineko had ever witnessed one.

Still, she persisted. Searching high and low for a certain herbal tea that often relaxed her nerves. Unsurprisingly, she couldn't find it. No one even appeared aware of its existence whenever she asked. Instead, she looked for something similar in consistency and scent. That was much easier to find. Assuming that the currency was similar to Japan's in her era, she left a single Ryo on on the counter (a gold coin with a square carved into the middle and kanji around the edges).

Next, and most difficult of all, was to locate Barry's work. Thankfully luck was in her favour that day. Mineko was wandering around trying to cover Central City on foot to find Barry; something she thought would be easy since she wasn't entirely accustomed to how large cities had become.

She came down the sidewalk of an extremely packed street. People were crowded around a police perimeter, which was covering a burning building. There was a young man wearing a strange yellow and red outfit, twirling his arms with such speed that two tornados sprouted from them and blew air up at the fire-engulfed apartment.

The flames were quickly doused by the hurricanes, and the crowd erupted into applause. The teenager had a smug smile on his face as he bowed and nodded. He wore a mask that showed only his red hair, eyes and lower face. Despite this, Mineko instantly recognised him as Wally West, Barry's young friend.

"Thanks Flash Boy!"

"His name isn't Flash Boy, it's Speedy!"

"Its Flash Boy you idiot, I know what I'm talking about!"

Wally sighed heavily and dropped his head in response to the conversation being had in the crowd.

Mineko shoved passed everyone to the police perimeter, and was greeted by an officer. "Sorry ma'am you can't--"

The woman brushed passed the officer as Kid Flash finally saw her face. "Oh no."

"Where does Barry work, Wal--"

"Oh, hi there babe!" Wally interrupted with an underlying discomfort as he approached her. "Come on, let's go somewhere more...private."

Within the blink of an eye, Mineko was transported to an empty alleyway, and Wally dropped his feigned confidence. "Are you crazy!? Are you trying to get Barry exposed?!"

Mineko blinked.

Realising that this person had no idea what the hell he was talking about, he groaned and ran a hand down his masked face. "You can't...you can't let anyone know that Barry is The Flash. It's a secret, okay?"

"And no one can know that you are Flash Boy." Mineko continued, trying to understand. "Why the secrecy?"

Wally ignored the 'Flash Boy' thing and went straight to being serious. "As The Flash, Barry has...a lot of enemies. Criminals that don't like him, right?"

Mineko nodded.

"If they knew who he really was under the mask, everyone close to him would be in danger. It's a secret because he wants to protect the people close to him. His family, his friends, even you now because you're staying at his apartment."

It began to become clearer to Mineko. It did make sense...

"This is really important. Do you understand?" Wally asked, heart frozen in anticipation.

Mineko nodded, slowly at first, but still with at least a small amount of agreement. "I will be more careful in future."

A loud sigh whistled through Wally's teeth, relief flooding his expression. "Thank God..."

"Could you please answer my question, now that we have established the rules of our comradery?"

Wally nodded, finally able let his guard down. "He's a scientist for the police department, usually working in Forensics. The building's just around the corner."

"The corner of what?" Mineko replied, head cocking to the side.

"... I'll just take you there."

Before Mineko had the chance to reply, Wally had grabbed her again and dropped her off in front of a large structure. He gave her a wink and motioned in its direction. "He should be in there."

Around them, people started stopping in their tracks. They stared at the costumed Wally in a mixture of awe and disbelief. Like a switch, Wally's personality changed back to his public persona. Immediately he puffed his chest out and directed a blinding smile her way. Clicking his fingers and pointing them at her, Wally quipped. "Blink and you'll miss me."

He was gone before she had the ability to process what he had just said, and more importantly, why he had said it. It seemed so out of place in their conversation. It left Mineko in a state of absolute confusion. The people around her searched the vicinity for Kid Flash, but he was nowhere to be seen. The girls swooned pathetically, and the teenagers tucked their phones back into their pockets in disappointment.

Blinking in bewilderment, Mineko finally managed to force her attention back to the building. She would ask Wally about that later, right now she had other matters to attend to.

Without a moments hesitation, she walked towards the police station. People walking in and out of it varied from cops in uniform, to criminals being let off with a warning. None looked as strange as Mineko did. She had, upon Barry's departure, attempted to find clothing more appropriate for the time. She had scoured Barry's closet, only using a jogger she had spotted through the window as reference.

The cliche notion that his clothes would be too big on her, and that they would flop cutely over her figure, was unmet. Instead his clothes were a few inches too short; the pants exposing the lower half of her calves, the long-sleeve shirt riding halfway up her arm, and her defined abdomen being exposed. They were even too tight around her more womanly features. Whenever Mineko flexed the shirt would threaten to tear, and whenever she bent the pants struggled to hold together.

Mineko hadn't given the tightness of these clothes any thought. They were extremely uncomfortable, but still she ignored it, never taking a moment to notice that no one else was wearing anything so unfitting of their figures.

As she strolled in, multiple people had tried to stop her. At first ignoring them was effective enough, but the further in she got, the more insistent they were that she show 'identification'. Eventually, she was forced to rely on her stealth to find Barry. Whenever she simply tried walking in she was thrown back out again.

It was shockingly easy for Mineko to find an unguarded window to force open and slink into. She began to feel that it was far too vulnerable a fortress for the peacekeepers to feel safe inside.It took Mineko half an hour to find a room marked 'Laboratory' whilst staying out of sight. That was one of the new words Barry had taught her, and since he was a scientist Mineko thought this was the best place to look.

Pushing the door open, Mineko was bewildered by the amount of objects laid about in this room. There were shelves of containers holding strange liquids, a variety of devices she had never seen before and sheets of paper sprawled around every table in sight.

She spied Barry leaning up against a table, conversing with a woman wearing a pair of glasses and with her short blonde hair tied into a bun. "Mister Singh said--"

"Yeah I know what Singh said," Barry replied "But I'm not going to rush this and get an inaccurate reading, alright? And I know you don't want me to either."

"I don't...and that's why I can't stand him. I can't work here anymore with that kind of direction. Pushing people is only going to make them sloppy."

"His heart's in the right place, but getting things right should be our main concern. Don't worry Patty, I'll back you up on this."

Another scientist walked in the room, doing a double take when spotting Mineko. The poor man bumped into a table as he took time to examine the woman's tight fitting clothes.The commotion was enough to get Barry's attention. He glanced over and his face dropped. Mineko walked over, and soon Patty's eyes were seized by her impressive physique and height.

"O-Oh, Mineko hey!" Barry nervously greeted. He turned to Patty and said "This is my...college friend Mineko. She just came to visit from Japan." He then noticed Patty's very intimidated expression of shock, which he terribly addressed with "She's a two-time winner of that Ninja Warrior show."

He refrained from telling Patty not to Google it.

"Nice to meet you!" Patty said pleasantly, reaching out for a handshake. Barry froze, trying to remember if he explained what a handshake was. Thankfully, Mineko grasped Patty's hand, who continued "I'm Patty, I work here with Barry as an assistant."

"A pleasure." Mineko said softly.

"You said you guys met in college? What did you study together?"

"U-Uh, Feudal Japanese History. It was an elective of mine."

"That's... an odd elective for a scientist."

"I wanted... a more thorough understanding of countries outside of America."

Mineko simply nodded, and much to Barry's surprise, didn't say anything that would compromise his already weak lie.

With an audible gulp, Barry turned to Patty and managed to squeak out a few words. "Could you... go inform Mister Singh of my decision to continue further readings?"

Patty looked visibly distressed by this suggestion, but nevertheless she agreed. It was part of the job description... even if she hated dealing with Singh.

Once she left, Barry double checked that she was out of earshot before finally venting. "What are you doing here? How did you even find this place? And more importantly, why are you wearing my clothes?!"

"You said that I obtained too much attention with my previous clothing." She replied simply. "So I adapted to your future fashion customs."

Barry took one more look at her, primarily in pure disbelief. She looked like she'd ransacked a child's wardrobe and tried to squeeze into one of their outfits. Not because Barry was short or slim, but because she was simply taller than him and had muscle in areas that he had never even considered possible.

He felt his eyes linger of the impressive six-pack that stuck out of the tight shirt, but swiftly regained what little composure he had left. "No one wears stuff like that... at all."

Mineko's lips tightened with the urge to argue, but she somehow managed to resist it. "I will... take a second look at your closet for something more appropriate."

"N-No!" Barry said a little too loudly. "I'll get you something on my way home. Just go back and don't leave until I finish work, alright?"

Mineko frowned but decided to neither obey nor disagree. Instead, she avoided the subject entirely by extending the item she had previously purchased out towards him. He looked at it oddly and read the label pressed against it... 'shower gel'.

"You have been acting strange since our conversation on the Iris woman." Mineko stated. "I often resort to a special type of herbal tea when I feel troubled, but you do not seem to have it anywhere in the city. So, I got you something that had a similar odour."

Barry's brow furrowed. "You wanted to get me tea... so instead you got me soap?"

"This... cannot be soap. It does not have the overwhelming smell of alcohol."

Barry grimaced. "Is that what soap smelt like in your time?... That's kind of weird."

A little flustered by this discovery, Mineko tried to collect any sense of indisputable truth that she could find. "W-Well, the taste was always second to the smell anyway... perhaps you should try inhaling the fumes and see if it calms you."

"Yeah... I'm not gonna sit here smelling a bottle of shower gel." Barry said lowly. "How did you even afford this anyway?"

Mineko reached into the tight pocket of her pants an manage to bring out a gold coin. She threw it at Barry who fumbled to catch it. Glancing down, he was instantly filled with dread. This was obviously not the currency used in modern day America... it was likely that Mineko would be taken in for questioning if the shop owner pressed chargers.

He sighed, but said nothing on it. It felt like a waste of time trying to explain it to Mineko right now. He'd have to wait until they were both back home. He pocketed the coin with an air of exhaustion. "You'd better head back before anyone realises that you sneaked in."

She did as she was told, much to Barry's shock, leaving him there with a bottle of soap in his hand and a pounding headache. Despite his reservations, he could already smell the soap beginning to linger around the room. It did, strangely, relax him but that wasn't something he was willing to admit to.

When Patty returned from her extremely irritating talk with Singh, the first thing she saw was Barry holding the bottle in both hands, softly smiling down at it absent-mindedly. Ironically, it was Mineko's effort that cheered him up. The fact that she'd noticed his distress and tried to fix it... something fluttered in his chest and that's what finally snapped him out of his daze. He hadn't felt an emotion so pure and light in years. Not since Iris died...


	12. Twelve

**_Chapter Twleve: Entangled_**

Mineko was, typically, a difficult person to follow undetected. She was always ten steps ahead of her pursuer; aware of their exact location and their intentions. However, this place was new to her, its norms weren't familiar at all. And most importantly, there were always hundreds of people on the streets at any given time.

In such a crowded place, her senses were dulled. She simply wasn't trained to deal with the sheer amount of threats that could be passing her at any given moment. This would explain why she had no suspicion of being tracked as she wandered back to Barry's apartment. As soon as she had entered that empty structure though, she was immediately hit with a feeling of dread.

Now that she was away from the large groups of people and the tall, seemingly endless buildings, she regained some control over her own abilities. Now she could tell that she wasn't alone. The air smelt slightly different to the usual twinge of pizza that hung in the room, it was now obscured by the musk of newly stitched leather. In the distance, if she listened intently enough, she could also hear the steady breathing of a well-trained combatant.

She could vividly recall Barry's unusually fast and erratic breaths, Wally's was almost identical. Whoever was in that apartment, it wasn't either of them. Mineko's body immediately tensed in the darkness. Every muscle contracted until felt as unmovable as solid rock. Her hand extended towards the light switch, only recently learning its purpose.

The moment she flicked it light flooded the room. Immediately, she caught sight of the intruder. He was hanging from the ceiling like some form of spider, wearing a costume draped primarily in black. That explained why she couldn't see him in pitch blackness.

His wrist flicked forward, and a strange contraption unraveled from his wrist, extending a kind of barrel outward.

Mineko had no time to react. Suddenly, an ear-piercing bang swallowed every sound in the apartment. She fell to the ground behind Barry's couch, unknowingly providing herself with cover from this strange new weapon.

Her ears rang with deafening volume as she realised there was a fresh wound on her abdomen. It bled profusely...and Mineko was more confused and shocked at what the would-be assassin did to hurt her like that.

Mineko's hearing slowly began to fade back in, just in time to hear the thud of the man's feet against the far wall. He came barrelling over the couch, and just as he aimed his weapon for another hit, she concentrated all of her strength into lashing out with her wind magic.

She swiped a hand at the assassin, and a gust of wind pushed the man off course. His weapon discharged and exploded a pile of books mere centimetres away from Mineko, as he flew into a bookcase with great force, causing it to tumble over. The man gave a surprised grunt, and just as Mineko tied her robe around the gaping wound in her stomach, he managed to roll off of the collapsed shelving.

Mineko didn't know how this weapon worked, but she knew that getting hit by it again was not ideal. As fast as she possibly could, Mineko made a break for the assassin and snatched his right arm before he could set the weapon on her again.

The assassin wrestled with Mineko, knowing that she was trying to break his arm. He tried to bring the barrel of his gun up to her face, but the pair were evenly matched. However, Mineko drove her knee into the man's gut, and this gave her the opening she needed. She twisted the man's arm around and pushed her palm against his elbow with strength made more intense by controlled wind pressure. There was a loud crack as his arm broke in the opposite direction.

He grunted in pain, and his weapon tumbled out of his grasp and dropped onto the ground. Mineko trapped it beneath her left shoe and kicked it to the other end of the room, as far away from him as she could manage in such a position.

"Who are you?!" She hissed, putting pressure on his damaged arm so that the bone was visibly sticking out beneath his costume. "Who sent you? Tell me, and I'll consider sparing your life."

The man said nothing. He simply flicked his left hand out...and another one of his weapons appeared inside it. Mineko could only manage one swift motion before it went off; she snapped out with a slap to bat the weapon away from her body.

Another bang sounded and a sharp pain gripped her thigh. Blood splattered onto the wooden panel flooring, and Mineko grimaced in pain.

She reeled backwards then lashed forward with a burst of air pressure. The assassin was propelled towards the window, and before he had time to recover, Mineko sprinted at him with her teeth gritted.

The man's masked face rose just in time to see Mineko throw herself into him. Barry's window shattered into shrapnel as the two people came hurtling to the ground in a dark and damp alleyway. There was a loud 'oof', primarily from the intruder that had landed beneath Mineko and softened her own fall.

The dazed and injured woman used this to her advantage and cracked a loud punch against his jaw. It seemed as if he was barely keeping conscious when she finally ripped the mask off him.

As expected, she didn't recognise him at all. She could attribute that to the loss of blood, but she only knew very few people in this odd future. His hair was as dark as the mask he had previously worn, and his skin was only slightly lighter than that. Upon first glance, he looked like any other person she'd see down the streets of Central city, it was only when she squinted more intently that she noticed his eyes. They were completely milky, blank and empty like that of a week old corpse.

Mineko instantly knew what this entailed. He was under the influence of Yan, the leader of the Uesugi clan. Her power of manipulation and control was known throughout Mineko's monastery, it left the victim unaware of their own actions. Only a moving, breathing tool for her to use for her own gain.

The plan had been to kill this intruder; a good, clean and honourable death. This was no longer a viable solution. He was being controlled, and so was no longer accountable for his actions.

The alleyway was just starting to fade into a giant blur in her mind, turning so quickly that dizziness was the least of her concerns. The man beneath her attempted to push her away, but he was feeling just as weak as Mineko was. The moment his hands shoved her shoulders, Mineko struck another hard blow against the man's temple and knocked him out cold.

"Hey, isn't that Mineko?" Wally's familiar voice said from the entrance to the alley.

She only barely managed to stay awake long enough to glance up. Barry's eyes met hers then wandered to the blood seeping through her clothes. The soda in his hand dropped to the ground and splattered against the gravel. Wally, on the other hand, continued to sip loudly from his drink.

The last thing Mineko heard before passing out in a pool of her own blood was Wally, speaking a little too calmly for the situation at hand. "Oh, shit. You gonna help her, Barry?"


	13. Thirteen

**_Chapter Thirteen: Spider's Sting_**

Mineko jolted awake almost 24 hours later. There was a sharp jab in her abdomen that took the oxygen right out of her lungs. The pain had an unpleasant warmth to it, eating at her stomach. There was nausea too, just enough to make her hold onto the mattress beneath her for support and breath slow. She often prized herself on overcoming pain, but it just wasn't possible at that moment. Not as long as confusion still tormented her mind.

What was that weapon? How did it injure her so quickly? Both questions pounded in her skull until it seemed like she'd never find an answer. In a desperate attempt to distract herself, she tried to make sense of the room around her. It was familiar... but she was certain that she'd never seen it before.

It was a bedroom, furnished on a meagre budget but still full of character. There were two large bookcases full to the brim with university textbooks and science novels. Many of them looked like they hadn't been touched in a while, likely because they had already completed their higher education. On the walls were posters from what Mineko could only assume were 'movies'.

It became obvious that this was Barry's room a few moments before the door swung open. She had never been in this part of the apartment, as tempting as it was, she at least had some respect for his privacy (despite the fact that she'd trashed his place the first time she arrived).

"Mineko!" Barry's voice called from across the room. He rushed to her side faster than the human eye could detect and gestured for her to lay back down. "Just relax. You've been unconscious all day."

Mineko's gaze flicked down to her torso where a bandage had been tightly wrapped around the wound, the same had been done to her leg. She tried to sit up again but was greeted with another piercing pain shooting all through her body. Her face scrunched at the feeling, and her teeth bit into her bottom lip in an attempt to keep any winces or gasps at bay.

Barry's expression visibly fell at her agony. "Are you alright?"

"I would be much better if I knew why I was so gravelly injured." She replied honestly. "I did not see my attacker wielding any blade, nor did I see him throw one."

"Oh... right, you haven't seen a gun before..." Barry huffed and pondered how exactly to describe such a thing to someone that had no idea of its function. "A gun is like a... tubular ranged weapon? Umm... typically designed to pneumatically discharge projectiles."

Mineko's brow furrowed and Barry sighed, trying to think of a way to simplify it. "It's a weapon that can cause a lot of damage, let's just put it that way. I'll explain the rest when you're feeling better."

She nodded, stare focused on the wall opposite her. "It was so loud..." she muttered.

"Yeah, I know." Barry said sympathetically. "You get use to it, for what it's worth."

"I will never get use to such a vile sound." Mineko argued, lips tugging into a frown.

Barry's expression immediately mirrored hers. It was hard to know what to say, especially when they were both so different. All it took to lift Barry's spirits was a sincere 'I'm sorry', and a somewhat inappropriate joke... but Mineko wouldn't accept either of those. She would question why he was apologising and not understand his sense of humour. He'd have to take action. Do something that didn't rely solely on the intricacies of words.

"Ah... w-wait right here." He said, though he had no reason to ask such a thing. With his connection to the speed force re-established, what would feel like mere seconds to Mineko, would be hours to him.

It was probably the first time in his life that he made tea, let alone a weird obscure variety that no one really drank since Feudal Japan. Instead of using a kettle, he just vibrated the molecules in his hand until the friction created enough heat to boil the water. That way he could screw up multiple times, which he did, and start again without delay.

After finally succeeding in making tea, Barry realised that using some random brand from the local shop probably wasn't good enough for her. The notion of finding the specific tea leaves she liked had Barry in a frenzy, until he remembered where Mineko grew her own hundreds of years ago. The Scarlet Speedster made a quick trip over to Japan, and was extremely relieved to find that her handful of plants had grown into a massive bush. He returned with a handful of leaves, and a smug grin on his face ready to actually make her tea.

To Mineko, he had been gone for no longer than 5 minutes when he returned with a steaming mug grasped in his hand.

There was no contemplation needed on her part. She had seen enough cups of tea in her lifetime to know the distinct, thin lines of steam that swirled from its surface. What she hadn't anticipated was the smell. It was nothing like the modern bags of tea she'd spotted at the mall, all smelling like factories and chemicals. This one had a more familiar fragrance, one that reminded her of home.

Barry wore an expression of slight pride as he handed the cup to her, and Mineko wasn't quite willing to discourage his efforts by telling him he should have ground the leaves up before tossing them into the boiling water. This came as a surprise, as she was typically not the type to spare people's feelings.

Mineko brought the porcelain mug closer to her face, until she could feel the heat against her lips. It's scent was now much clearer, and it was hard to deny the distinct aroma.

"Where did you find this?" She asked curiously, voice far more relaxed than it had been a moment ago.

"W-Well... I got it from that old garden you told me about."

Mineko froze, cup barely making it another inch towards her mouth. "You mean my personal garden?... It's still there?"

Barry nodded a little sheepishly. "Yeah, it was a bit of a long shot to check there but it paid off. There's a massive tree there now, the whole place is like a farm for rare and old types of tea leaves."

Mineko blinked at the man in slight disbelief. It was absurd to think that a small hobby she started centuries ago would become one of the only places to harness those types of leaves.

She wasn't exactly sure how to thank him for his efforts. She made few friends even in her own era, so she was unaccustomed to receiving anything but a new sword wound from another person.

"Uhh..." Mineko started, still unsure of what to say in such a situation.

"Don't mention it." Barry answered understandingly.

This seemed to put her at ease, not having to say anything out loud was a relief. That also meant, though, that the conversation had ended. It left silence hanging in the air, thick and intense. Mineko wasn't entirely sure why it felt that way though...

In an effort to drown out the nerves beginning to buzz in the more influential areas of her mind, Mineko brought the cup up, blew lightly on the steaming liquid and took a large gulp from the vessel.

"What happened to the one that attacked me?" She asked once the substance had successfully passed down her throat.

Barry sat himself onto the side of the bed and said "It's alright, he's locked up now for attempted murder...well they had to stabilise his wounds first. You dished out as much as you took."

Mineko felt somewhat pleased that she returned the damage she sustained. "Who was he?"

"His name is Johnny LaMonica, a professional killer. Goes by the name Black Spider. He's no joke...and for someone to hire him to kill you... That's not good." Barry said, shaking his head. "I managed to get a couple words out of him. He's denying that he ever tried to kill you. After we pulled evidence on him, he says he seriously can't remember."

"Do you believe him?" Mineko asked.

"I dunno...he isn't exactly a nice guy, but he's always taken responsibility for what he's done in the past."

Mineko simply nodded, and with a small inhale of preparation, sculled the remainder of her drink. With speed that seemed relatively uncompromised by her injuries, Mineko jumped out of bed and tossed the empty cup back at Barry.

The boy clumsily fumbled with the fragile chalice, refusing to abuse his connection to the speed force just to ensure he didn't smash a mug due to his own lack of coordination. Finally, he managed to secure it between both hands and sighed in relief.

"You shouldn't be out of bed yet." He said, placing the mug carefully on the side table. "What are you doing anyway? If you need something I can get it for you instead."

"We must find Yan, immediately." Mineko stated, not completely ignoring Barry's concern but choosing not to comment on it. "We have wasted enough time already."

"Yan?... Is that the scary looking chick that Thawne brought here? If so, I'm pretty content to, like, not find her... and just wait for her to show herself. That sounds like a lot less work."

"She has already shown herself." The woman replied, giving one final glance at the blood staining the bandage on her abdomen. "I believe that this 'Black Spider' is telling the truth."

"How could he be? I saw him with my own eyes, so did Wally. You witnessed it first hand."

"He was undoubtedly the one that attacked me, but I don't think he remembers doing so. I don't even think he was completely conscious when it happened."

Barry blinked, then shook his head. "Hey, I might be able to explain the theory of relativity to a 400 year old mummy but that doesn't mean I understand all that cryptic samurai shit. Mind clarifying?"

"Yan can control people in whichever way she pleases, and for however long. She can make them do things, distort their reality, or even take possession of their consciousness. She was the most deadly creature that I had ever encountered in my era, the only giveaway is the victims eyes. Their milky, like thick fog has somehow clouded their pupils and irises. Black Spider had those eyes."

Barry's lips tightened. "Why did you ask me if you already knew he was innocent?"

"I may be confident in my knowledge, but I'm not naive enough to not admit that I'm out of my element. You know more about this place than I do, and I wanted to eliminate any other possibility before making an assessment."

"In other words, you wanted my opinion." Barry smirked.

"Is that not what I just said?"

Barry shrugged. "I mean, I suppose? In your own weird way."

Mineko had ceased listening at the beginning of his sentence, and opted for grabbing the 'modern' clothes Barry had laid out on the chair. He didn't even need to explain that he had brought them for her that morning, she simply saw that it was her size and threw off the robe she had been wearing.

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Barry screeched, turning away with an embarrassment so intense that it stained his face dark red. "Put your clothes back on!"

"Are these not meant for me?"

"Who else would they be for?!" Barry muttered out, voice squeaking between each word.

"Then I don't see the reason for your loud wailing."

"You seriously see nothing wrong with this scenario?!" Barry said, now resorting to shielding his eyes. "Y-You're naked! I almost s-saw your-"

"Oh, please. You're acting as if you've never seen a woman's body before." She rolled her eyes and continued rummaging through the clothes and attempting to put them on correctly. "Where I was raised there was no room for modesty. In the monetary we slept, ate, showered, and changed in front of one another."

Barry shook his head, still very obviously unsettled about what he had almost seen. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Now, can you please put something on?"

Mineko obliged, but quite begrudgingly. She still didn't understand what the big deal was, but asking Barry again didn't seem like the wisest decision.

"Okay. I'm dressed. You can stop hyperventilating."

The red-faced man finally dared to glance back towards her, a little less anxious after confirming that she was fully clothed. That peace of mind allowed him to register just how ridiculous she looked in the dollar store outfit he had picked out.

It consisted of merely a pair of track pants that bagged oddly on her toned frame, faded grey sneakers, and a bright pink jumpsuit with Hello Kitty winking right in the centre. It didn't suit this tall, skilled warrior at all, but it did force a laugh to become lodged in Barry's throat.

"Now, let's go." She stated without any thought to how she appeared.

There was no option available to Barry. Without any opportunity to voice his concern about her going out with such a grave injury in the process of healing, he was dragged out of the apartment, her hand grasped firmly around his wrist.

Sometimes he forgot how stubborn she could be...


	14. Fourteen

**_Chapter Fourteen: Centrifugal Force_**

The police officer stood on the corner in the hazy heat of the sun. He was they very epitome of authority with his gun hanging idly at his hip, and the street reflected in his over-large sunglasses. Behind him lay the station, a small yet significant flow of cops coming in and out of its glass doors.

Barry, who had insisted that they come here, promised that these law enforcers would have at least an idea on Yan's whereabouts. So far their quest had been less than successful.

"Come on, you haven't heard anything? At all?" Barry asked, fully disguised in his Flash costume. He thought they would be more forthcoming to his alter ego, rather than some random guy asking questions.

"I already told you." The officer said in a full, almost emotionless voice. "I've heard nothing about mind control, and certainly not about this woman you mentioned."

"Then how about cases like the Black Spider one?"

"Oh, sure. We get people denying their crimes all the time." The cop said so sarcastically that even Mineko understood that he was mocking them. "That doesn't mean that they're connected."

"You know that's not what I meant." The Flash said in a stern, yet somewhat confused tone. The police had never been this rude to him before, at least not when he was in costume. "Well, are there any new gangs that have been particularly active of late?"

The officer, who had barely moved during the entire conversation, tensed slightly. It didn't appear like a reaction to the question, but to something only he could hear. His attitude changed completely after that. All of a sudden he seemed willing to help.

"Now that you mention it, there is one." He said lowly. "Been targeting primarily the lower regions and slums of Central City, but they've become major threats already in places like Gotham. Last I heard they were operating out of some warehouse in Lawrence Hills."

"Why is it always an abandoned warehouse?" The Flash whined, rolling his eyes behind his helmet. "Can't it ever be like a fancy hotel, or a five star restaurant?..."

"Those places are too well populated." Mineko answered despite the question obviously being rhetorical. "Besides, if you ever caught a gang at a restaurant you'd be too busy eating all the food to catch them."

"That's what the super speed's for." Barry said with a wink. "I can do both."

Without another second to waste, The Flash turned turned back towards the cop and gave a nod of gratitude. "Thanks for the information. If I find anyone there I'll bring them back for questioning."

"Very well." The officer replied in a tone that didn't suit him at all.

Mineko's eyes narrowed at the man, but she was swiftly lead away by Barry who seemed too distracted to notice.

"Are all your law enforcers that nonchalant?" She asked curiously.

"Not usually... maybe he just had a bad day."

"I suppose that could be the case."

"Trust me, they've got a difficult job, especially in this city. They've earned the right to be a little grumpy." Barry stretched his arms above his head in preparation, then extended them out towards Mineko. "Ready to go?"

She still despised the feeling of being carried. That much hadn't changed, but she assumed that travelling at a regular speed with her was just as irritating for him. She had started to perfect the art of compromise when it came to him. They had started to make a half decent team.

The warehouse, when they arrived a mere few seconds later, was just as eerie as Barry had feared. It was a large structure, engulfed primarily in darkness. It looked as if it would fall in on itself at any given time. Chalky paint fell in fragments off the door leading inside, leaving it to be nothing more than a bare tarp.

At Barry's apparent unwillingness to go inside first, Mineko manoeuvred out of his grasp and back onto her feet. When her palm pressed firmly against the cold frame it squeaked on its amber hinges. The door loosely swung open, and now all they could see was a large empty room.

Vines were the only things that filled the dark void. Ivy, to be specific. It gnarled its way through broken windows, tangling its leathery shape throughout the wistful abode.

The undefinable source of darkness draped over the walls like tapestries as they took a few wary steps over the rotting wooden floors. Each creak set their hearts racing, but no one ever appeared to investigate the sound.

"This place is deserted." Mineko stated after another thorough glance around the room. "It doesn't look like anyone's been here in years."

"There has to be something we missed like a... trap door or something?" The Flash murmured, rubbing his chin with his index finger as if in deep thought. "Maybe one of those bookcases that lead to a secret room?"

"Why would there be-" Mineko paused, then sighed in realisation. "This isn't a movie, Barry."

"It could be!" The Flash replied hyperactively. "What if they're filming us right now for some reality T.V show about The Flash and his samurai apprentice?"

"I am not your apprentice." Mineko grumbled. "And if you start searching for camera's I'll destroy your remaining dolls."

"They're not dolls, dude... that's so uncool. They're action figures."

"Which is a fancy way of saying that it's an expensive doll."

The Flash gasped, placing his hand over his chest to feign insult. "That hurt."

Apparently Barry wouldn't have any need to start searching the area, because not long after their conversation had ended someone appeared in front of them with a loud crack that sounded oddly like thunder.

Upon first glance, the man looked like a gladiator. He wore a golden helmet of solid brass, and was adorned with large bracelets of the same colour that ran up the length of his bulging muscles. He was shirtless, which gave the illusion of misguided confidence, but with the abdomen of a body builder no one could blame him. It was the pants that gave him away, they had none of the delicate intricacies of a gladiator's armor and all the messy stitching of a pair of modern tights.

"Savitar..." The Flash said with a mighty exhale. "I'm really not in the mood for you."

"He's possessed." Mineko said abruptly. "Look at his eyes."

Barry's upper lip twitched, obviously hoping that it wasn't true... but it was. The moment he gave the villain a second look he noticed the dead-like pupils and snowy white irises. "God damn it..."

Savitar let out a cackle of laughter, but it held little joy beyond what he was being forced to feel. Then, in the blink of an eye, there was another deafening sound but this time it was of The Flash being thrown into the back wall. Cracks surfaced from where he had landed and the man gave a pained groan.

"How many people do you know that can run that fast?" Mineko asked, precisely at the worst possible time.

"Ah... I'll get back to you on that."

Barry pushed back up to his feet, but was knocked back off of them and right through the roof. The old ceiling didn't put up much of a fight, and so he was sent hurtling a few extra feet into the air. Mineko, whilst Barry was screaming at the top of his lungs on the way down, created a strong force field made solely of wind around herself. She had no chance against a speedster, but she could at least slow this Savitar down if he wished to attack.

Immediately afterward, she concentrated on The Flash. She brought her hands out in front of her, scrunched them into fists, then rotated them. When Barry hit the ground he was still yelling so loudly that he hadn't realised that Mineko had softened his fall.

"When you're done wailing like a newborn, perhaps it would be prudent to look for the man that tossed you through the roof." Mineko said with a slight shake of her head.

The Flash's eyes snapped open, then swiftly looked over his own body to assess the damage. There didn't seem to be any... or, at the very least, he still had all of his limbs. "O-Oh right... Good idea."

Mineko's ears were bombarded by a series of sounds previously unheard of to her; the sounds of two objects moving faster than light colliding and propelling each other into opposite walls of the room. The entire building shuddered at its foundations and the interior was soaked with yellow streaks of lightning as the speedsters were locked in a superluminal clash.

At this moment, Mineko realised that she couldn't even comprehend their movements let alone join in. They moved too quickly for her eyes to even perceive them at all. She saw nothing but the cracks in the concrete, burn marks shaped like boot prints and static charges as Barry and Savitar duelled.

There were a few times where she tried to concentrate all of her attention on finding them, but it was simply impossible. Unfortunately, this wouldn't be the last of her worries. The door to the warehouse was swung behind her, and once she turned in reaction to the noise, she saw about ten cops filing into the room... including the one that had sent them there.

The sunglasses he had previously been wearing were tucked into his shirt pocket. Now his eyes were uncovered for all to see, and they looked identical to Savitar's. As did the other law enforcers.

"Officers." Mineko said quite civilly as the group pulled out their guns.

"She doesn't leave this room." The leader said as if completely ignoring the fact that she could hear him. "Boss' orders."

In an instant, all ten of them were shooting and the sound pierced through Mineko's skull painfully. She still hated the sound, but having knowledge of the weapon seemed to give her some solace. The force field placed around her sent the bullets in an array of different directions, all completely missing their target.

The shield she had made dropped from existence and she swiftly took out her sword with a grimace. The next wave of bullets came, and this time she merely focused on slowing them down enough to be visible to her highly trained senses. She unsheathed her katana, and deflected each bullet that came her way.

The ten men weren't in any position to react, they merely raised their guns and tried again. Each time Mineko grew closer to them, cautious yet determined to knock Yan's control right out of them.

Finally, she was close enough to slash at a few of their wrists and force them to drop their guns. With this new opening, she jumped right in the middle of them and started fighting them off. It wasn't as graceful or coherent as one would assume. The fight was just an entanglement of arms and legs, swinging in one direction to another in the hopes of hitting something.

A few of the officers tried to pick their guns back up, but Mineko swiftly made another clean cut along their knuckles and they'd instantly drop them. In the distance she could still hear Barry and Savitar pushing each other around and weakening the warehouse's structure. Soon it would fall, and so she had to finish this fight quickly.

Whilst ducking and blocking multiple attacks from every direction, she managed to find a moment to grab one of the cops by the arm, dislocate their shoulder, then ram the handle of her katana into their skull. They fell completely unconscious, but the others didn't seem even remotely bothered by their fallen comrade. She did this again to a few more of her attackers, and was left with seven more still standing.

That's when she brought the fight outside, sheathing her sword in preparation. It was easy to make them follow her out the door, because they did so automatically. This halt in the chaotic battle gave her enough time to take to more out. She simply waited for the two fastest cops to make it to her, then banged both of their heads against a nearby pole. Then there were five.

As they rapidly approached her, Mineko started throwing punches at every angle necessary. They rarely dodged them. In the end their faces were covered in blood, some with broken noses and others with large cuts under their eyes. One more well placed hit was enough to render another three unconscious, and the last two were taken out with a leg sweep that was quickly followed by a kick to the temple.

The samurai took a deep breath of the polluted air and made an expression of disgust. She couldn't even relax or recollect herself in a place like this. She glanced around at the bodies scattered on the ground, knowing that they would wake up soon; confused, disoriented, and in a lot of pain.

The warehouse, that was still at a close distance, trembled on its foundation. It was going to collapse. Mineko wouldn't have thought anything of it... if it weren't for the three police men that were still knocked out cold inside of the building.

She ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Compared to people like Barry, it would look like she wasn't moving at all, but apparently she was still fast enough to drag two of them out. When she returned for the third, a rather small cop compared to the rest, the ceiling had already started to cave in.

She picked the man up, hunching over to shield him from any falling debris. The woman channelled any amount of strength she could muster to slow the wreckage from giving way on top of them, but it was heavier than anything that she had tried her powers on.

Her hands curled into fists around the victims uniform, and a grunt of effort sputtered from her throat. Knowing that she couldn't hold it for much longer, and that if she moved her concentration would falter, she instead focused the built up air pressure onto herself. She thought that this might give her enough speed to get out of there, like a bullet, but instead it shot her straight through a hole in the collapsing warehouse. For a moment, however fleeting, it looked as if she was flying, that is until she was tossed right into a nearby lake.

She emerged completely soaked, and attempting to keep the cop's head above water. Somehow, she managed to swim to shore with only one arm available to cut through the liquid but it wasn't without its difficulties.

She tossed the man's limp body with the others and wiped the water from her eyes, still unsure of what she had just done or how.

By the time she had averted her attention back to the warehouse it was already a pile of dust. The vines, however, were still poking out from the wreckage as if nothing could tear them down. Mineko's eyes narrowed. She could almost guarantee that this was Barry's doing.

Ironically, that was when The Flash appeared next to her, holding Savitar by one of his glistening arm bands. "Did I miss anything?"

Mineko raised a judgemental eyebrow at the man and pointed towards the destruction that his fight had caused. "You couldn't have been a little more careful?"

"Oh... shit. I'm sorry." Barry said sincerely. "It was hard enough to avoid populated areas. I had to keep him contained."

He looked back at the wreckage, but that's when all emotion seemed to leave him. Instead, it was replaced with a sickening, doe-eyed look as he began walking towards it. When he stopped, he did so next to a woman. One wearing nothing but plant life on the upper and lower areas of her body. The only thing more prominent than that was her hair, it was long and dark red.

"I knew those fools would fail." She spoke in a voice that seemed to whisper desires they had never even dreamed of. "But that just leaves more praise for me when I succeed."

A vine sticking up from the rubble shot towards Mineko and wrapped around her ankle. She frowned at the sight. Unsheathing her sword, she swung it downward and cut the plant with little to no effort. She huffed, completely unimpressed. She then walked nonchalantly towards the woman, slicing through any shrub or weed that got in her way. When she reached the woman she simply socked her right in the jaw and she dropped to the ground.

Barry finally snapped out of whatever trance he was in, and upon spotting Poison Ivy, he groaned in annoyance. "I friggen hate when she does that..."

"Does what?" Mineko asked cluelessly.

Barry blinked a few times, a little confused. "You mean... you didn't notice? She produces pheromones that make people temporarily fall in love with her."

"Is that what was happening? I thought you were just being a pervert."

Barry squinted at the samurai. "She's not even my type, I don't know why it always works on me."

Mineko shrugged. "Is that all she can do? Just grow plants and flirt with desperate losers?"

"Yeah... that's about it-" Barry's voice trailed off then he took a sharp inhale of surprise and realisation. "Wait... was that a joke?"

Mineko smirked, rolled her shoulders, then winked in confirmation.

"... You've been spending too much time with Wally." He sighed though there was the slightest hint of a smile on his lips. "We should clean this place up. Take Savitar to jail, and the officers to the hospital... I'm not sure what to do with Ivy though. She's a Gothamite. It's probably best that I return her to Arkham."

"Does she usually visit Central city?" Mineko questioned.

"Well, I've never seen her outside of Gotham. I can tell you that much."

"Then it's likely that Yan's influence has increased in Gotham... maybe that's where she's headed." Mineko pondered. "Do you know anyone there that could help track them down?"

There was a brief silence that filled the air before he finally answered "Yeah... I think I might know someone."


	15. Fifteen

**_Chapter Fifteen: Silent Knight_**

"I need a favour." Barry said.

"Uh okay. First though, who's this and why did you bring them into my secret lair?"

Barry glanced at Mineko who bowed respectfully at his friend. She was still wearing the Hello Kitty sweater Barry had procured for her.

"A warehouse that you bought with your boss' money is not a secret lair. That's Mineko. She's a samurai."

"Neat." Nightwing dropped himself into his comfy leather chair, propped his feet up onto his computer server and rested his hands behind his head. "It's a cool lair, right?"

"Can you do this thing for me or what?"

"Geez, alright alright." Nightwing rolled his eyes. Barry found it hard to see Dick Grayson as anything but a kid, but he was going on eighteen now. He recently dropped the Robin mantle and chose to become Nightwing, inspired by some kryptonian legends Clark had told him about after his falling out with Batman. "What do you need?"

"We just discovered that Poison Ivy was working with a new rogue in Central. I need to know where she's been and who she's been dealing with."

With a chuckle, Nightwing crossed his arms. "Okay...nice try, but I can't help you. Gotham isn't my turf anymore and even if it was, I'm not him."

"Yeah but you studied under him and worked for him for like eight years right?"

"Would you say Wally is as good as you?"

"No."

"Exactly."

Barry grimaced. "Come on, you're not Wally."

Dick sighed and stood up, walking over to Barry as he said "I seriously wouldn't hesitate to help you if I could Barry, but I haven't been to Gotham in months. A city like that changes every day; I don't know it anymore. Besides, no one knows it the way he does."

Barry, still dressed in his Flash gear, gave one final and pleading look towards him. "I... really don't want to ask him if I can avoid it."

"Dude," Dick said, grasping his shoulders supportively, as if he had been in the exact same situation. "you can't avoid it. He's not the world's greatest detective for no reason."

Mineko had thought that the following few hours would be simple after hearing Dick's suggestion. However, instead of listening to him, Barry had dragged her to yet another secret hideout located within the top of a clock tower.

"Please." The Flash begged, forcing his best puppy dog look towards a girl draped all in black. "You're just as smart as he is... you could find them, couldn't you?"

"I could." The young woman replied, adjusting her fiery red hair over her shoulder and turning to face both him and Mineko. "If I had access to his hardware. All this stuff is a toaster compared to Bruce's baby."

"So what you're saying is that I have to go to him."

Batgirl turned back to the table laden with gadgets that she was tending to before Barry and Mineko arrived. "Well. Yeah. Aren't you guys friends or something?"

"Colleagues." Barry said with a smirk.

Barbara Gordon kept tinkering with her gear, leaving Barry on the edge of his seat. "I'm smart, but not smart enough to make a billion dollar supercomputer with student loans to deal with."

Barry was about to ask if she got his little pun before she quickly added "Yeah colleagues because you're in the Justice League together, I got it."

"Oh. Good. You are smart."

With a smile, she dropped the tool she was holding and sighed as she turned to face Barry. "Come on, you guys have been through a lot together. Didn't you fight a giant purple starfish or something?"

"Giant purple alien starfish. And that was mainly me, Arthur, Diana, J'onn and Hal. Clark showed up at the end to finish it and Bruce pretended to be important."

Suddenly, Barbara only just noticed Mineko skulking around in the back. "Oh. Who's your friend? She is with you, right...?"

"This is Mineko."

"Oh. Hi." Barbara greeted awkwardly. "Nice sweater."

"She's a magical samurai I met in feudal Japan when I accidentally time-travelled there chasing a guy from the future who has my powers and calls himself the Reverse-Flash."

Batgirl scrunched up her face then shook her head. "Man...how do you deal with all of that crazy stuff? I can barely handle a middle-aged British man with a machine gun umbrella." She began to walk away until she froze in her tracks and looked back at Barry with a confused stare. "If he's reverse you, is he slow, a healthy eater and not excessively arrogant?"

Barry was almost offended until Barbara flashed a smile. "Yeah, ha ha. Real funny. You're almost as funny as Grayson."

"That's offensive. Anyway stop procrastinating and go see Bruce already. I'm sure it'll be fine when you get there."

"That's what you always say..."

Batgirl's eyes fell onto Mineko once more and she suddenly furrowed her brow. She motioned at Mineko's casual clothes, clearly taking issue with how Barry had outfitted her for combat.

"What...?" Barry asked, clueless.

"Are you seriously taking her crime-fighting in that?"

"Well...yeah?"

"Is she a meta human?"

"Well...no...but she has a sword."

Barbara scoffed and hovered over to an armour case in the corner of her room. "You're such an asshole. I'm pretty sure I have a prototype lying around in here that'll keep her safe."

Mineko quickly tried to turn down her charity. "That won't be necessary. Armour may restrict my movement."

"Oh don't worry babe, this stuff's designed with flexibility in mind." Barbara said, pulling a black suit from the case and passing it to Mineko. "Try it on."

Minutes passed with Barry awkwardly staring into a wall at Barbara's behest to maintain at least some of Mineko's privacy. Soon enough she was fully suited up.

"This fabric...what is it?" Mineko asked, flexing her joints and testing the elasticity of her new duds.

"Titanium tri-weave. It moves and breathes like fabric, but it can stop knives and small arms fire."

Barry finally turned around and saw the matte black suit Mineko was snugly fitted inside. It looked very similar to Batgirl's tight costume minus the bat symbol. On her face was a mask that was much like Batman's only without the pointed ears.

"I appreciate the gift. But perhaps you can keep the mask." She confessed as she pulled the thing off and handed it back over to Batgirl.

"Are you sure...?"

"Yes."

"Can we go now?" Barry sighed. "I wanna get this over with."

Regardless of his many protests, Barry eventually ran them to a third and final hideout. This one was much darker than the rest, and was chiseled to look more like a cave than a base of operations. In the distance there was a man behind numerous computers, typing in a constant loop without ever having to glance down at the keyboard.

"Master Allen." A voice spoke that made Barry jump a few feet in the air. Alfred had snuck up on him... yet again. That man seemed to come out of nowhere whenever he visited. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"I uhh..." Barry started, rubbing the back of his head hesitantly. "We've come to ask for Bruce's help..."

Alfred cocked a curious eyebrow in their direction, but lead them deeper into the cave nonetheless. "You have visitors, Master Wayne."

"Mm." He grunted in response, which seemed to be enough for Alfred. Bruce Wayne turned in his chair, eyes narrowing at the sight of Mineko. "What is she doing here?"

"Don't worry, Bruce. She can be trusted." Barry tried to reassure him.

"That's my call." Bruce snapped back with an angry frown.

Barry was starting to get a little peeved. Dick kind of grounded the cynical loner; he lightened him up a bit. Now that he was gone though, Barry almost immediately could see that Bruce was more of a jerk than ever. "I found Pamela Isley running with Savitar in Central City."

The Flash pulled Poison Ivy's mugshot from his pocket and slapped it onto Bruce's keyboard. "You never drop the ball with monitoring these criminals. More often than not you know where they are but you just wait for the best time to strike, which means you knew she was dirtying up my turf and you said nothing about it. Are you still going to give me a lecture about trust, 'Batman'?" Barry pressed sternly.

Bruce paused, grimacing the way he usually did when someone saw through his web of intrigue.

"We have a situation. I'm not doing this right now." Barry continued. "Mineko wasn't the only one who left that year in Japan."

"...They're behind Savitar and Ivy?"

Mineko found it to be the time for her to enter the tense conversation, and she did so with unfaltering calmness. "They were definitely under the influence of Yan."

"Telepathy?"

"Magic, actually." Barry said in a condescending tone.

"Correct. Yan is a dangerous ronin, master of using the mystic arts to warp the minds of those untrained. Knowing the kinds of remarkable individuals that populate your society, Barry and I believe that it is only a matter of time before she snatches a member of your League." Mineko explained.

Bruce's eyes narrowed. "The League could be compromised. And we wouldn't know who it is."

"You can apologise for being an asshole later." Barry said with a slight smirk. "Right now we have work to do."

Bruce scoffed, but turned back to his computer nonetheless. He typed and clicked away at the keyboard and mouse until the monitor changed. "There's been no mention of this 'Yan'."

"Of course not." Mineko stated. "She would avoid using her name at all costs. She would likely operate under a clan name instead."

Bruce's brow furrowed but Barry seemed to understand exactly what she was saying. "Are there any new gangs in Gotham? Ones that have recently grown their influence?"

Bruce's lips tightened into an even deeper frown, obviously this had hit a nerve. "They call themselves 'Danketsu'. They've practically wiped out most rival gangs."

"Danketsu was the name of Yan's former organisation." Mineko spoke up. "She almost took over the entirety of Japan and China before the Defenders caught her attempting to assassinate the emperor."

"Defenders?" Bruce questioned.

"Kind of like the Justice League of her era." Barry answered almost immediately. "But more secretive."

Once Bruce had heard this explanation he completely ignored the subject altogether. Instead, he returned to his computer screen and scanned the words that were displayed across it.

"There's been a lack of activity at Iceberg Lounge; the usual gathering place for Oswald Cobblepot's followers." Bruce stated as if none of this fazed him.

"Why the hell would she want a middle-aged, chubby British guy in her pocket?"

"Yan's criteria is influence, not physical strength." Mineko argued.

Bruce's eyes squinted in response to her statement. "Cobblepot is a wealthy socialite. He has plenty of that."

The man stood from his chair and walked straight passed the both of them. Mineko had thought to follow him once he'd disappeared around a corner but Barry stopped her. When he returned he was draped in his Batman costume, and fastening the cowl onto his head.

He marched towards the batmobile that was placed rather precisely on a massive turn table. He opened the door and it gave a satisfying 'click'. "You know the address. I'll meet you there."

"W-Wait!" Barry stuttered out urgently.

Bruce turned, and though the cowl covered most of his expression, he could tell that the man was becoming impatient.

"You know I...uh...don't really get the chance to ride in cars anymore. Especially ones as cool as yours..." Barry fiddled with his thumbs nervously at the blank reaction Bruce gave him.

Batman turned his back to the pair of them and vanished into the drivers seat of his car. There were a few moments of complete silence, so awkward that Barry couldn't fight the urge to mutter out "Is that a no?"

Suddenly, and very unexpectedly, the passenger seat swung open. Barry didn't need anymore encouragement than that, and in a literal flash, he was inside the batmobile. Mineko soon joined them, but she was far less enthusiastic about the vehicle than he was.

The engines of the batmobile roared as they sped down the streets of Gotham. Much of this city was close to the ground, the only few buildings that extended higher up were owned by the people with important family names; like Wayne Tower. The rest of it was run-down. Shops had their windows boarded up in preparation for a robbery, and houses had bars locked onto their windows to prevent break-ins. It didn't work, of course. The criminals in this city were much too determined to let that stop them.

Every now and then, though not nearly as often as in Central City, they would pass a few Christmas decorations messily placed around lamp poles and fences. A few houses had attempted to put up lights, but they had been crudely pulled back down by vandals. The only thing that seemed untouched was the large Christmas tree in the centre of the city, and this was largely due to the regular clean up they had to keep it presentable.

"Oh, are these more offerings to the Deer God?" Mineko finally chirped.

Bruce took a second to glance in Barry's direction as if waiting for an explanation on this sudden outburst.

"What are you doing?! Don't look at me, look at the road...idiot." Barry huffed and Bruce smirked. The dark knight took strange pleasure in scaring the shit out of people, especially if that person was Barry. "Firstly, Christianity was a fairly new concept in her time. There were a lot of misunderstandings... It's hard to find the time to teach her about this stuff. Secondly, Mineko, where on Earth did you get this 'Deer God' thing from?" He said, turning his head to face her.

"By observing your customs." Mineko answered honestly. "You have idols made in his image, all surrounded by deer."

"... They're Reindeer."

"Is that not the same thing?" Mineko tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"No they're not..." Barry sighed. "Just forget about it. I'll explain it to you later."

It didn't take much longer to reach Iceberg Lounge. It's lights were still flashing bright but there were no outside scuffles, nor any of the usual screaming coming from inside.

Bruce exited the batmobile, followed quickly by Mineko. Barry, However, took another moment to admire the vehicle. His eyes darted from left to right in wonder and his fingers itched to press all the buttons laid out before him. He wasn't daring enough to try though... at least not with Bruce within view.

He sighed and jumped out of the car and the doors behind him gave a definitive lock.

For whoever saw them walk into that club, it was like watching a group of clowns strut into a therapy session. It just didn't look right. Especially given the fact that there was no crime to be seen in this place.

"Something's not right..." The Flash said lowly, looking around at the crowds of people all talking, laughing, and drinking. "This place is too normal. The last time I was here I got thrown out a window."

The Flash turned to face Batman... only he wasn't there. They were completely abandoned in the middle of the club. Barry tapped his ear piece and sighed "You know, you could tell me what you're doing once in a while instead of running off... Where are you?"

An answer came but not before a moment of dead silence. "I'm on the roof... Did you just walk in the front door?"

"Uhh... well it depends. Is it bad that I walked through the front door, if so, then no."

Bruce grunted on the other end. "... You're an idiot."

"There's no need to be hurtful." The Flash took another look around the room, only now noticing that no one had reacted to his presence. "Well, on the bright side, no one seems to notice that I'm here."

"Yan's influence." Mineko whispered.

"Take a look around. Meet at the back alley in ten minutes to discuss what we find." Bruce commanded before switching off his ear piece.

Barry shook his head. "This is why working with him is such a pain in the ass."

"He seems efficient. I like him." Mineko said honestly.

"That doesn't surprise me." Barry responded in a slightly joking manner. "You search upstairs for any clues, I'll circle around here for a while."

The woman nodded and vanished to the second floor where she found exactly nothing. No weapons. No secret rooms. No Yan.

She was beyond disappointed when she skulked to the back alley where Bruce was already waiting. Barry, however, was nowhere to be seen. Both assumed he was just running late, which wasn't out of the ordinary for him, but as time past they started to wonder what could possibly be delaying him.

Their answer came in a barrage of attacks that neither of them could see. They felt every single part of their body being punched, and jabbed, and kicked, but the perpetrator was practically invisible... or just too fast for their eyes to catch.

Mineko threw gusts of wind in every direction in existence, but even that didn't seem to slow him down. Batman had just reached towards his gadget belt before The Flash finally became visible. He was struggling against someone that was holding him securely in both arms... Kid Flash.

Instead of explaining exactly why he was in Gotham, the boy yelled "Hurry! I can't hold him much longer!"

Mineko immediately noticed his eyes that were engulfed in white mist. Yan had gotten to him.

The woman clenched her fist, preparing to knock him out cold, but before she had the opportunity his foggy eyes had met hers. For the first time in over a decade, she hesitated. Her entire body simply ceased to function, and in that moment she was left only with her thoughts. It was obvious now why she couldn't bare the thought of hurting him... She had developed feelings for him. The kind of feelings that she had blocked out for most of her life. The ones that she never wanted to have.

Whilst she stood there petrified by this realisation, Wally started to lose his grip on the speedster. Thankfully, before he could completely lose his grasp, Batman stepped forward and punched him so hard in the temple that there was a resounding 'crack' that followed it.

Barry was rendered completely unconscious, and Mineko was left mortified that she had put her own emotions in front of her duty.


	16. Sixteen

**_Chapter Sixteen: Pizza Time_**

Barry Allen woke up several minutes ago on a medical table in the damp, dark confines of the Bat Cave. Of course, Mineko was by his side because without him, she was quite frankly lost in this strange world.

Dressed in his Flash uniform with its mask pulled off, Barry shifted up into a sitting position as he asked Mineko "So...what exactly happened?"

"You had been ensnared by Yan's magic."

"Man...really?" He groaned.

Mineko replied "Do not feel inadequate; from my experiences, it is impossible to resist that form of mysticism."

He sighed and crossed his arms. "Is...everyone okay? Did I hurt you?"

"Bruce and I are fine; Wally arrived to assist us. It seems that although Yan can control you, she does not understand how to use your speed in an effective manner. She is, after all, not a scientist."

"Wally...? How did he find us?"

"I do not know." Mineko murmured.

Barry furrowed his brow as he picked up on a rare lack of composure that appeared in her behaviour. "Hey...is everything okay?"

Mineko paused without answer. It took several seconds for her to force herself to say something. "I hesitated. I could have rendered you unconscious but I froze."

Barry was dumbstruck. All this time he figured that Mineko didn't care about him...that he was a means to an end. "You're worried that you might actually...care about me?"

"I am worried because I know that I do care about you."

As a man who was never really made speechless, Barry was shocked to find that he had not a single possible reply in his brain. At first it was confusion that racked his mind, then shock.

Before he could say anything, Batman entered the room.

"They were waiting for us. They knew." He said, strolling down the stairs and seating himself at the Batcomputer.

"No kidding. Any idea--...ow." Barry cut himself off, rubbing his temple. "Ow...! Man... Hey, did you give me a concussion?" He asked, looking at Bruce who did nothing but continue typing away. "You gave me a concussion! Why would you do that? Don't you carry knock out gas in that stupid belt of yours all the time? Why didn't you just use that? Have you just been wanting to punch me that badly?"

Bruce stifled a smirk which became visible on his face regardless. "You said it, not me."

"Still... you could've been a bit more gentle."

"No one else was going to do it." Bruce said with a quick but purposeful glance in Mineko's direction. "If you hadn't allowed yourself to become compromised then there would have been no need for it."

Mineko's head lowered in shame. It was obvious that she was taking this a lot harder than she should've. Barry instantly sensed her sorrow, but he was still so conflicted about her previous confession that he didn't know how to possibly comfort her without sounding awkward.

He did, however, shoot a rather sharp look of disapproval towards Bruce after Mineko slumped out of the batcave. "You know, you really are the biggest jerk I've ever had the displeasure of meeting."

This didn't bother Bruce at all. It wasn't the first time he'd heard those words, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. His general lack of reaction was what annoyed Barry the most.

Before he had the chance to berate him again about his general attitude towards everyone Wally had appeared. "I'm gonna take Mineko back to Central City. Want a lift?"

At the mention of Mineko, Barry shook his head. He didn't have any desire to make things even more tense between them... and he still wasn't exactly sure how to react towards her anymore. "I might just lay down for a bit. I'm sure I'll feel well enough to run back later... before you leave though, how did you find us?"

"I followed you." Wally said rather nonchalantly. "You always find the best fights... and I'm always stuck with villains like 'Abra Kadabra', the worst magician in the galaxy. I thought if I followed you I could finally get involved in a fight worth my time. Turns out there was a damsel that needed saving instead."

Barry narrowed his eyes. "Did you just call me a damsel?"

"Well I certainly wasn't referring to Bruce or Mineko."

"... You can leave now."

Wally grinned. "Whatever you say."

Once they had left Barry was stuck alone with Bruce. It was a short lifetime of weird silences and uncomfortable exchanges. Finally, Barry decided to leave as well. Not because he was feeling any better, but because he didn't want to hang around with the angsty rich boy anymore.

Still, he didn't want to return home. If he did he knew he'd have to talk to Mineko about this whole... crush thing. Barry's brow furrowed. Thinking of it as a 'crush' was so childish. It didn't suit Mineko at all. She was much too intelligent to announce her feelings unless they were stronger than some teenage fantasy. That's what frightened him most. If she was bothered enough to admit it then it was already stronger than anything he had felt in a long while.

Instead of returning to his apartment he decided to wander around the mall for a while. He didn't have any money to spend, but he enjoyed going into the nearby toy shops and looking at the new action figures they got in. He had only just decided on where to start window shopping before he heard someone call out to him.

"Barry?!"

He turned, dread filling his face when he saw Wally sitting at the food court with Mineko and Jesse Chambers, otherwise known as Jesse Quick. They were sitting around a large, thick pan pizza and Mineko was, to Barry's absolute shock, stuffing her face with it.

"What are you doing out of bed? Aren't you like...injured?" Wally said once Barry had walked towards them.

Jessie arched an eyebrow. "Injured? What the hell happened?"

"Batman punched him in the face and gave him a concussion." Wally blurted.

"Wow. It doesn't count. I was being mind-controlled by an evil samurai wizard. And I'm out of bed because Batman is a douchebag." Barry sighed.

Jessie seriously replied "Wait...then how is Batman not minced meat right now?"

Barry stifled a cocky smirk and answered her with "The person controlling me obviously didn't know anything about physics."

He took a split second to observe Mineko, who besides being covered in barbecue sauce, looked unfathomably troubled. He wasn't sure if this was his fault for ignoring her affections, or if it was the simple knowledge that she had those feelings that was bothering her. In his experience, it was likely nothing to do with his reaction.

Wally caught Barry's momentary lapse, perhaps because of their shared super speed. "Hey, you told me she didn't like pizza."

"She doesn't." Barry said, avoiding eye contact with Mineko.

"Yeah, right. She had like five by herself. Not bad for someone without a super-charged metabolism." Jessie laughed.

Tension grew the longer Barry stood there. He was constantly fighting the urge to look at Mineko, and the woman in question wouldn't stop picking at the pizza in front of her. Their lack of conversation didn't go unnoticed by either Wally or Jesse.

"Uhhh... did we miss something?" Wally asked curiously. "Is there a reason you guys haven't acknowledged each other's presence?"

"... It's nothing." Barry muttered.

This was more of an answer than they got from Mineko, who was so lost in her own thoughts that she had barely heard the conversation at hand.

"It certainly doesn't seem like nothing..." Jesse exclaimed.

Wally's gaze shifted between the two awkward people, never once looking at Jesse even as she spoke. He just couldn't figure out what could possibly be wrong. The samurai had destroyed some of his most prized action figures, but he still spoke to her after that. He simply couldn't think of any reason for them to be acting this way.

In an awkward and desperate attempt to break the defeaning tension, Wally's gaze flicked around the mall. There he saw it. The perfect distraction.

"Barry, wanna take a picture with Santa?" He said with an extremely forced laugh, pointing towards a fake Santa Claus that was currently taking pictures with excitable kids.

"Very funny, Kid Flash." Barry muttered. "Emphasis on the 'kid'. I'm sure you'd fit in there better than I would."

Wally huffed. "I'm seriously gonna talk to Picture News about getting my name changed..."

"That's not how it works." Barry said, slight amusement returning to his voice. "You're stuck with 'Kid Flash', no matter how old you get."

Jesse snorted with laughter, and this apparently was enough to snatch Mineko back out of her own thoughts. She pulled her hand away from the single slice of pizza left over, now sporting very little toppings due to her constant picking.

The first thing she saw, of course, were the crowds of people passing her. Then she spotted the large man in bright red, surrounded by fake Reindeer and elves.

"Is that...the Deer God?" Mineko gasped in disbelief. "I thought he was only a myth."

Wally was taken back a little by this sudden question, and Jesse's reaction was similar. They both blinked blankly and cluelessly at her, confusion never leaving their expressions.

"Sorry... what's she talking about?" Jesse asked in absolute ignorance.

Wally's forehead became indented with deep lines that did well to hide most of his youth. He then made an 'o' shape with his mouth and nodded towards the black haired woman. "I can actually see why you would think that."

"Perhaps I should go up and apologise for my disbelief... should I offer a sacrifice in his name?"

Both Jesse and Wally now looked like they were struggling to determine whether they were horrified or entertained by Mineko's suggestion. Nevertheless they both shook their heads vigorously and mumbled a series of 'no' and 'absolutely not'.

Barry, on the other hand, felt a smile begin to crack at his lips. He may have been in an unimaginable situation with the woman, but he still couldn't help but find her blatant disconnect from the modern world weirdly reassuring at a time like this. It was then that he knew his relationship with her had changed. He now saw her lack of knowledge of his world as charming instead of confusing. That was something that he wasn't completely willing to admit to himself yet though...


	17. Seventeen

**_Chapter Seventeen: The Trouble with Titans_**

Barry's eyes fluttered, and he saw familiar sights buzzing by him once more. He saw Iris. She was in danger... He heard her calling for him. But he wasn't fast enough.

Professor Zoom held Iris tightly in his grasp. Barry knew what came next, he had seen it over two hundred times by now but it never got any easier. He tried to lift his arm, then to compel his legs to move, but they were frozen in place.

Zoom vibrated the molecules of his hand through Iris' skull, inching just slowly enough to create excruciating pain. She screamed and the sound rang through Barry's ears like an alarm. Even after all these years he reacted to her voice... to her pain. He tried again to break out of his frozen state but it was impossible. Even in dreams he couldn't change the past.

Zoom finally reached her Cerebellum, located at the very back of her brain. He squeezed it in his palm and the girls screaming seemed to intensify then drown out in a matter of seconds. She collapsed, eyes wide and mouth twitching open. Zoom repeated this action once more, this time pressing his fingers through the frontal lobe, then materialising them near the Medulla - the area that controlled life sustaining functions. He dug his nails into it then crushed it altogether. It was then that Iris finally died; afraid, paralysed, and in horrible agony.

This memory slipped away from Barry. He wished he could cry but his own consciousness would no longer allow him to. He was then forced, in this never ending nightmare, to watch his failed attempts of saving her. He went back in time, killed Zoom...only for Iris to die in a car accident. He did it again and again and again, but to the same result. She would always die one way or another, as if time had solidified itself.

He had resigned himself to an entire night in this torturous existence, but just as he was watching another timeline of Iris' death, he was suddenly yanked out of it.

Sweat drenched his body and his lungs felt enveloped in lead. Every breath was a chore and sent a painful jolt up the side of his torso. There was a point of initial panic, like he was compensating for his lack of action in the dream. It took another few moments for his eyes to finally adjust to reality and for him to realise that he was no longer asleep.

"Barry?..." Mineko's voice reached him, and her tone was so gentle that it managed to calm him enough to start breathing properly again. He felt her hand glide over his and, at last, forced himself to look at her concerned face. "Are you alright?"

The man took a large inhale, tense muscles not going unnoticed by Mineko. "Yeah... why?"

"You were... screaming in your sleep." Mineko hesitated to tell him. "I thought that, perhaps, you were being attacked. Is there anyone here that can enter people's dreams?"

"Uh... not that I know of?" Barry sighed. "It was just a nightmare, alright? No need to worry."

He pulled his hand away from hers and he visibly saw her expression drop. She almost looked a little hurt. Still, she had always been good at burying those feelings so it wasn't noticeable for very long. "I know a good remedy for bad dreams... I could make it for you."

"No." Barry snapped. "I just want to be alone."

Mineko was taken by surprise at his bluntness, but didn't allow the shock to silence her. "Is this about what I told you before? Because I assure you that I will not allow my feelings for you to get in the way of my mission again. I can promise you that."

"That's not what this is about."

Mineko bit her lip, then offered him an understanding smile that Barry had never expected to see on her face. "You're lying. It's alright. You still love Iris, and I am not the type to beg for people to return my feelings. It won't come up again if you don't wish it to."

"That's not- Look... if you value your life, you should try and get away from here as quickly as possible. The future and me. I'll only end up getting you killed."

Mineko blinked at him cluelessly. "I do not need empty warnings and protection. If I die it is my own fault for being weak, not yours."

This time Barry looked offended, even angry at her words. He knew that she wasn't referring to Iris, but with the dream still fresh in his mind, he couldn't help but feel infuriated. "I think you should leave now."

This time Mineko could tell that he meant it and she obliged, standing up and shuffling towards the door.

"I apologise if anything I said upset you. My intention was only to show my support." Mineko glanced over her shoulder, obviously saddened by his coldness. "I hope you find happiness, Barry, even after I'm gone. No one deserves to be stuck in their own past forever."

When the woman left, Barry was left wallowing in his own guilt. He couldn't save Iris, and now he was turning into Bruce. It was like he was stuck in some dark alternate reality- one that wasn't suppose to be his.

Mineko was quiet for the rest of the day. It was like she had suddenly entered some weird astral plain. She only appeared when he asked her to, and only spoke when he asked her something. Any other time she was practically invisible.

It had become so uncomfortable that Barry was somewhat relieved when Wally came knocking on his door.

"Hey... you got any plans today?" Wally had said as soon as he stepped into the apartment.

"Well I was going to visit dad." Barry said lowly. "Any reason you're asking this?"

"Oh, no reason... maybe you should go see him right now though." Wally suggested. Barry cocked his head to the side and Wally shrugged. "I just might need your help later. Not sure yet."

Barry groaned, but nodded to show his understanding. "Alright. Stay here, I'll be back soon."

In the blink of an eye, Barry was gone and Wally was left standing in the middle of the doorway alone... or so he thought.

"Barry has never spoken of his parents to me. I thought they were dead." Mineko's sudden voice jolted Wally a few inches into the air in fright.

Wally, now recovering from the near heart attack she had given him, took a heavy exhale. "His mom is. His dad's in jail."

The boy only realised after saying this that he probably shouldn't have revealed something so personal about his best friend. He cursed under his breath and firmly slapped his palm to his forehead.

"Why is his father incarcerated?" Mineko asked curiously but Wally didn't answer so willingly this time. "Oh... I understand. Well, perhaps Barry would like to know that it was you that told me about his parents..."

"You're evil." Wally huffed, glancing all around the apartment to ensure no one else was around. "His dad's in jail... for the murder of his mother."

All oxygen seemed to leave Mineko's body. She stared at Wally, blinked once... twice... thrice, then finally took a long overdue gasp of air. "That... what?... why would he-"

"Barry insists that he was falsely accused." Kid Flash admitted. "Says it was Professor Zoom that was behind it all. The guy's seriously gotta grudge against Barry... he's made it his life goal to destroy everything he loves."

This calmed the woman down, at least enough for her to speak in proper sentences again. "Why is he in jail if he did not do it?"

"There wasn't any evidence that someone else had entered the house. Without any other suspects they automatically assumed his father was guilty."

"But he's not." Mineko stated. "If Barry says he is innocent then he must be."

"Yeah, well, that's not how the law works here. Someone had to pay for the crime and, unfortunately, they weren't going to listen to the plea of a traumatised kid."

Sympathy washed over Mineko until it felt like she was drowning in it. That was the problem with developing feelings, any pain of theirs was yours to bare as well. "Perhaps there's a way to prove his innocence...?"

"Yeah, good luck." Wally muttered. "Barry's tried practically everything to get him out."

It was another hour before Barry returned to a quiet apartment with the television humming lowly. He entered the living room to see both Wally and Mineko watching the electronic device unblinkingly. His forehead wrinkled, but instead of questioning them, he slipped behind the couch and followed their gaze.

They were watching the news. A woman sat straight-backed behind a large desk. She had short blonde hair, brown eyes, and golden skin. Her fingers were folded elegantly in front of her as she continued to read the teleprompter behind the camera.

"We now bring you a live feed of the attack in Manhattan, New York." She said rather calmly considering the situation.

The screen skipped, then the image changed from the stuffy news room to a city of burning buildings. Much to Barry's shock, the camera eventually caught sight of the culprits. Beast boy had transformed into a giant T-Rex and was ripping structures apart in his jaws. Wonder Girl was lifting trucks and whirling them into abandoned cars and buses. Cyborg was blasting large holes into the roads and cement. Starfire was whirling through the sky, throwing balls of energy on every direction imaginable. And, finally, Raven had blackened the sky with her dark power.

"What the fuck." Barry hissed.

"Yeah... this is what I came to talk to you about." Wally said sheepishly.

"This is urgent, dude! Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!"

"I didn't know it would get this bad!" Wally defended himself. "They were acting a little strange, I had a bad feeling, but this is... something else entirely."

"We need to get there. Now." Barry said in a desperate tone. "Before they do something they'll truly regret."

Wally nodded, and seconds later, Barry was out of view. Wally almost followed suite before he heard Mineko clear her throat behind him.

"I could use a lift." Mineko said. "Since my usual ride took off without me."

Wally sighed but complied nonetheless, bending down and motioning towards his back reluctantly. "Hop on..."

The streets of Manhattan closest to Titans Tower were rendered to ruin by the team of young superheroes. By the time Barry skidded to a halt before them, all civilians had been evacuated.

Barry sighed to himself as he watched the destruction continue. "How the hell am I gonna take all of these guys at once...?"

The first one to notice Barry's presence was Cyborg, who could see anything with his multi-spectrum vision. Instead of saying anything, he pointed his white-noise cannon at Barry and fired.

The real Victor Stone would know that The Flash could easily evade a sonic attack, but it seemed that Yan didn't. This thought was relieving to Barry; she wasn't as experienced with the Titans' abilities as they were. Barry calmly sidestepped the bolt of white energy, which impacted with the sidewalk.

Wonder Girl's eyes darted over to Barry with a vicious rage in them. "Shit." Barry muttered.

She grabbed the bumper of a car, spun and sent it flying at Barry. Again, Yan had no idea what she was dealing with. With less effort than it took to evade Cyborg's assault, Barry casually strode away from the thrown vehicle which tore a hole through an empty shop front.

Suddenly, in a flash of lightning, Wally appeared with Mineko in tow. "Guys, stop! You can't keep doing this!"

Mineko climbed off his back, dressed in the uniform loaned to her by Batgirl. "They cannot hear you, Kid Flash. Yan is in total control."

"What's the plan, Mineko? How do we do this?" Barry asked her.

Mineko responded, as she unsheathed her katana "Render them unconscious."

"That's easier said than done when you're up against a Tamaranean and an Amazon...!" Wally scoffed as Starfire descended from the sky, eyes ablaze. A green t-Rex then came stomping around from the corner, followed by a hooded figure hovering in the distance.

Another voice promptly joined the conversation. "That's where we come in."

The Flash sent his eyes up and saw two figures suited in black and green. One was a familiar human face, but the other was an extremely pale alien woman. "Hal...?" Barry blurted with disbelief.

"The one and only." He quipped. "This is my space girlfriend and partner, Vell. We heard what was going on."

Barry's brow remained furrowed as he looked at Vell. "Uh...space girlfriend?"

"Yeah. I've always wanted to say that." Hal quipped, willing a handful of laser guns into existence.

Barry ran a hand down his face "I know..."

Vell landed and turned to Mineko "Hey."

Mineko squinted. "Greetings..."

The alien's eyes fell on Starfire. Immediately, Vell turned away and asked "Is that...a Tamaranean?"

"Sure is, rook. Not just any Tamaranean either. That's Princess Koriand'r." Hal replied.

"Grak..." Vell cursed in her native tongue. "This is gonna be harder than I thought."

"She and the Amazon will have to be ours. Knock it down a peg though; they're being mind controlled." Hal continued, Barry, Mineko and Wally being a little too shocked by he and Vell's sudden appearance to say anything useful.

"Ugh. That sucks. I wanted to hurt them."

"I know you did." Hal rolled his eyes, then in a streak of green light, he tackled Starfire out of sight.

"Fritar!" Vell spoke again foreignly. "I wanted the Tamaranean!"

The pale alien grumbled, but set her sights on Wonder Girl regardless of her preference. It wasn't long before they were gone as well, spiralling through the air like a jet.

"Well... that takes care of the heavy hitters." Wally said in relief. "I guess I'll take the dinosaur."

He sped around the city at least four times before returning, and punching the T-Rex with all the speed he'd built up. The massive animal fell to its back, before shifting into a Tiger and pounding at Wally. Kid Flash wasn't as fast as Barry, but he could still dodge the attack fairly easily.

"Okay. Which one do you want?" Barry asked, directing towards the two remaining Titans.

Mineko glanced over at Cyborg who was still tearing up the streets. Afterward, her eyes wandered towards Raven. That woman had an aura about her... something that felt almost familiar to Mineko. She pointed towards the cloaked figure and Barry looked as if he was questioning her sanity.

"Are you sure? Raven's... uhh... pretty strong." There was a hint of something in his voice, almost like he was concerned for her. Even after their awkward encounter earlier.

"I'm sure she is, but I'm no stranger to magic." Mineko said reassuringly. "Besides, I don't even know what that other thing is... let alone how to defeat it."

Barry winced inwardly at Mineko's words. "Yeah... I'll give you some advice. Don't tell Cyborg that when he regains consciousness."

"...You can explain to me exactly what a 'Cyborg' is when we're done."

"Can't wait."

Barry then grabbed onto Cyborg, and somehow, managed to run him into the already broken window of a nearby service station. They both went tumbling inside, and Mineko was left to try and grab Raven's attention.

The samurai swooped the empty space around her, building up enough pressure to lift herself from the ground and float towards Raven. "I sense a great demonic energy coming from you. That of Trigon himself."

The sound of her fathers name made something flicker in Raven's eyes. It swiftly vanished, but her attention stayed stuck on Mineko. At least she'd gotten her attention.

A massive cloud of dark power circled around Raven's body, her sharp features disappearing behind the curtain of energy. Each edge swirled then sharpened, and finally came barrelling towards Mineko. She readied her sword and cut through the magic with ease. Part of her training included how to fend against dark magic. Even her sword was enchanted to deflect it.

Raven sent another her way, then another, but each were avoided just as easily as the last. Mineko's eyes narrowed at the woman. "Either my instincts about you were wrong or Yan has no idea how to use your powers..."

That's when it hit her. Yan really didn't know how to use them. How could she? The only thing she controlled was their bodies and their consciousness, but she had no way of looking into past memories to figure out how each power worked... this fight was starting to look much simpler than before.

Raven tried again, but this time the magic she pushed in Mineko's direction was a continuous stream. It had enough force to inch her backwards despite her sword splitting the mass in two seperate directions. Using her own authority over wind, Mineko forced herself forward, against the current Raven had created.

The pressure left every muscle in Mineko's body twitching and her hands aching from the effort to keep hold of her sword, but she managed to push herself close enough to Raven to smash the handle of her katana against her temple. It zapped the magic right out of her, if only temporarily, and she fell to the ground.

"Well, that was easy." Mineko said with a raised eyebrow.

Just as she said this, the same green light as before fell from the sky and crashed into the sidewalk. A large crater was forged into the ground at the sheer force of the crash, and Mineko could only barely see Vell holding Wonder Girl by her hair. With her free hand she lifted the power ring on her finger and created a gigantic hammer out of thin air. The object was crushed into Wonder Girl's skull and, finally, she blacked out.

Next to win their fight was Barry. Under normal circumstances, knocking someone out would be a piece of cake for him. He was fast enough to do it quickly and sufficiently, but Cyborg simply wouldn't fall. It took more than twenty minutes in normal time, hours in the Speed Force, for him to figure out why Victor was so sturdy. He was part machine. That must've been keeping him awake.

The Flash shook his head, obviously disappointed that he hadn't thought of this sooner. He opened the compartment located in Cyborg's chest and fiddled around with the wiring. Victor froze, his robotic eye flashed red a few times, then he shut down.

Up near the stratosphere, Hal Jordan was engaged in a fierce dogfight with Starfire. The Emerald Crusader would've had a harder time with the Princess if she were in complete control of her actions, but currently his experience and finesse easily gave him the upper hand.

He weaved through the starbolts sent his way, with a few accurately thrown one washing over his personal energy shield. "Alright your highness, time for a taste of your own medicine." He snapped.

Thrusting his power ring out, Hal conjured a miniature star complete with its own gravitational pull. He then hit the throttle away from the mini sun, which simply kept him in place due to its fierce gravity.

Starfire however was caught unawares, and the sudden force snapped her backwards and sucked her into the star. Just as her orange form fell into the gaseous substance of the celestial body, Hal grimaced and opened his palm.

The star instantly collapsed on itself and went supernova, exploding with light that would've blinded the GL if he wasn't wearing his tactical visor.

Koriand'r fell from the sky, only for her descent to be stopped by a glowing green set of train tracks.

Hal, as smug as ever, concentrated and said "Sorry about this, princess...but you have some trains to catch."

On both sides of Starfire were two express bullet trains created by the Green Lantern, both inbound for the sides of her headr. With a startling crack, the trains collided with the Tamaranean's skull and folded in up on themselves like mechanical snakes.

With that, the newly unconscious Starfire dropped onto the Manhattan streets with a devastating rumble.

With most of the Titans now neutralised, the group met up again, dragging the bodies of their opponents with them. They looked around at each other, no words needed to realise that one was missing.

"A little help?!" Wally's voice pierced the atmosphere and their attention was diverted to the young boy. He was tangled with a large snake, one that was undoubtedly Beast Boy. "I can't move, and my power kinda relies on that."

"Why don't you just vibrate your molecules to walk through him?" Barry sighed.

Wally went silent for a split second then grumbled. "I'm not that fast yet... Are you gonna help me or not?"

Mineko walked nonchalantly towards the viper, and with little effort, kicked it unconscious. The snake unwhirled itself from around Wally, bones sliding and cracking back into place until it took on the more human form of Garfield Logan.

"Thanks." Wally said, seemingly unaware of how bad his failure made him look. "How long do you think it'll take for them to wake up?"

"I don't know about the rest of them." Barry admitted. "But I can reboot Victor as soon as we get them back to Titans Tower."

"Better get a move on then." Hal smirked, already halfway in the air.

"Wait, you're not gonna help?!" Wally whined. "These guys are heavy!... Well, maybe not Beast Boy, but Cyborg and Starfire are impossible to lift!"

"Wish we could, but we've got a whole sector of space to protect."

"Bullshit, you just don't want to help clean up!"

Hal winked and vanished into the sky, Vell following closely behind. On Earth, the three others were forced to heave the Titans back to the tower. Somehow, they managed, but not without a lot of arguing and sprained wrists.

\--

Author's Note: For those of you wondering who 'Vell' is, she's the love interest in the Green Lantern story. As mentioned, these stories will interlink, so feel free to read it if you're curious. ️️


	18. Eighteen

**_Chapter Eighteen: The Diversion_**

"Why isn't it working?" Barry hissed, fingers prying into the inner workings of Victor's circuits. "I'm sure that I've done everything right..."

Despite his certainty, Cyborg didn't show even a flicker of life. He was still completely shut down. Not even the small human part of his face would open its eye.

"He upgraded himself a couple weeks ago." Wally recalled, stepping towards the older man and shooing him away. "Lemme have a look."

Wally examined Victor's internal circuitry, looking for two specific nodes to cross in order to initiate an emergency reboot. "So... where were you when this was happening, Dick?"

Nightwing was sitting on the pizza stained couch, checking over Starfire for any serious injuries. He frowned. "They knocked me out before they left the tower."

"Oh, they ran into you? Well why didn't they just put you under Yan's control as well?" Wally continued.

"I was trained to resist negative temptations. Maybe she simply couldn't." Dick replied with an overly confident air around him.

Barry snorted. That was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. The sound sent Dick's already displeased expression into a scowl.

"It's safe to assume that Yan simply thought that he was inadequate." Mineko answered a little too honestly. "He lacks any special abilities that could prove useful in an attack."

This time, Barry's suppressed laugh came bursting from his throat. He wheezed, took a deep breath, then started laughing again.

"Hey! I could do some damage!" Dick snapped.

"Like hit a few lamp posts with those little stick of yours?" Wally cackled.

"They're called Escrima Sticks, Flash boy." Dick snapped back, and this seemed like enough to shut Wally up.

"Yan is not interested in your trinkets." Mineko explained. "It would make little difference to her."

"Yeah, right!" Dick said completely and utterly offended. "I've trained for years with these things! I know how to use them better than anyone else could even dream!"

Mineko shook her head. "Your knowledge wouldn't matter. When Yan's controlling you she can only use you to her own knowledge's extent. She won't know any of your training, nor how to use your weapons. It's why she targets Metahumans. Fighting with detailed techniques is far more difficult than just setting something on fire."

"Oh, so you're saying that my sheer amount of talent is too much for her?" Dick boasted proudly, his annoyance all but disappearing.

"I... suppose?" Mineko sighed. "If you want to put it that way..."

"I do." Dick smirked over at Wally who, though he had his back turned, could feel the man's smug expression directed towards him. "You might want to be kinder to me in the future. I am the leader of the Titans, after all. I could kick you out of the team if I wanted."

"You're the leader because you can't do anything else..." Wally muttered under his breath bitterly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Wally said dismissively, turning around and straightening his back until it gave a satisfying crack. "I think I got the big guy working again."

With one final knock over his metallic head, Cyborg's red eye flickered to life. The hum of machinery filled the air as certain as a human's breath, then finally, Victor's second eye flickered open. It took several seconds for his entire body to reboot and for him to assess the current situation.

"Hey, how ya feelin' buddy?" Wally asked with a firm pat on his metallic shoulder.

"I..." Victor's processors hissed loudly from his skull. "What happened?"

"You were brain washed by a new gang leader." Barry explained simply. "You and the rest of the Titans... Well, with the exception of Wally and Dick."

Dick grumbled something inaudible under his breath, but Wally simply shrugged.

"She used the team to destroy parts of the city." Barry continued. "Most people that she gains control over have no recollection of it. I was hoping that you'd be different."

Victor froze, then the whistling of his mechanics grew louder.

"Is he shutting down again?" Mineko asked curiously.

"No. He's searching his memory banks. Probably reviewing them to gather as much information as he can." Wally answered. "He records everything he sees automatically. Nothing gets passed him."

"We were a distraction." Victor suddenly cut through the conversation, gaining everyone's attention.

"You-...what?" Barry mused.

"These Danketsu guys...they used us to divert attention away from what they were up to at the United Nations Building at the other side of town." Cyborg told the team.

Barry widened his eyes. "There was an international summit going on there... Are you saying that the Danketsu just sunk its teeth into thousands of politicians from around the world?"

Victor rolled his shoulders back and forth as he stood. "Well...yeah."

"That's... not good." Barry sighed, hand shooting up to rub his chin and legs beginning to pace around the room. "Yan has almost unlimited reach now. She could take anyone without any trouble. She could build alliances, paint anyone as criminals or start wars with a thought."

The entire room was filled with nothing but silence. They all exchanged frightened glances, searching for a solution that couldn't be found. They had taken too long to find her, and now it was going to be almost impossible to stop her authority from spreading.

"We'll need everyone at their best if we're to take her on." Dick suddenly spoke. "I'll explain the situation to the Titans once they're all conscious, but you should go find the Justice League. They'll want to know about this."

Barry's shoulders slumped. "It's always something... I'll never get to order that take-out."

"You've already eaten all our food." Dick scoffed. "One speedster in here is enough."

"I've got a high metabolism, alright? Running all over the globe works up an appetite." Barry explained.

"We can order that cheesy bread once we speak to the League." Mineko reassured.

Barry found himself unintentionally smiling at the woman. Despite the awkward situation they were in, he couldn't help but feel a little less burdened with her around. Maybe because she was constantly distracted by a modern device, or the way she always seemed confident that they would catch Yan.

"Yeah, pizza sounds good." Barry said softly as he reached his hand out towards her. "Come on, we'd better get going."

Mineko returned the smile, and he only just realised how much it brightened her face - perhaps because she didn't smile very often. It transformed her from someone strict and slightly scary, to someone warm and welcoming. Butterflies escaped from the pit of his stomach and the sun had somehow toppled down from the sky and made a home right there in his chest. Something told him it had been there for a while. The rush of emotion startled him and he felt himself retract his outstretched hand before Mineko had the chance to grab it.

"On second thought...maybe Wally should take you again." He murmured lowly and the smile fell from Mineko's face as quickly as it had come.

"What? Why me?" Wally whined. "She's twice my height, it'd be easier for you to take her."

Barry had heard this, but bolted away before a reply was required. Mineko stared at where he had once been standing, confused by his behaviour.

"Wait a second! You can't run away from me!" Wally yelled after him. "I'll...uh...be right back, Mineko."

With that, Wally vanished as well. The dark eyed woman glanced around the room. Four Titans were still completely unconscious, Dick was still looking over Starfire, and Cyborg's metallic footsteps echoed throughout the room as he left.

"Were they lying about Hal throwing Starfire into a Supernova?" Dick suddenly asked with a tone of annoyance.

The woman shook her head. "I was quite surprised that she survived."

"That's nothing for her." Dick sighed. "Still...he could've tried to be a little more careful."

"You want to 'be careful' with a Tamaranean?" Cyborg called from the other room. "Good luck."

By the time it took this conversation to end, the chase between Barry and Wally was long over. The Flash had come to a complete halt outside the Hall of Justice, granting Wally enough time to catch up.

"That's...right..." Wally huffed, obviously not as accustomed to the speed force as Barry was. He had needed to push himself beyond his own limits just to keep up with him. "Think you can...get away from me?"

"If my intention was to outrun you, then you never would've caught up." Barry stated honestly.

"Why do you always have to make me sound so uncool?"

"You do that all by yourself, Wally." Barry managed a playful smirk in his friends direction but it didn't stay very long. "You should go get Mineko. We might need her."

"What's your deal with her anyway?" Wally insisted. He had noticed the change in attitude towards her almost instantly, and quite frankly, it was starting to make him uncomfortable. "Did she break your Star Trek discs or something?"

"It's nothing like that." Barry said honestly.

"Then what is it?"

Barry contemplated what exactly he should say, and whether a matter this personal should be revealed to someone as big-mouthed as Wally. He had never been very competent at keeping conversations private.

"She..." Barry ran his fingers through his windswept hair and exhaled sharply. "She has feelings for me...you know, like real feelings."

"So what?" Wally shrugged. "Is that what this is about? It doesn't sound like much of a dilemma."

"Maybe you just don't understand what I'm saying..."

"I'm not an idiot, contrary to popular belief. She likes you, as more than a friend, so what's the problem?"

Barry was gobsmacked. He had to wonder if Wally remembered what happened to Iris, or their multiple conversations afterward. He simply didn't understand how the younger man could be so calm about this.

"Do I really have to tell you the problem?" Barry asked, staring him down as if this would somehow help him remember.

"Yeah, you might." Wally met his gaze without the slightest falter. "If you're not interested just tell her that and move on. It's not that hard."

"B-But I-"

"But you are interested, aren't you?" Wally said with absolute certainty.

"N-No, that's not-"

"You can lie to yourself, Barry, but you can't lie to me." Wally interrupted him again. "You're pretty easy to read."

"There's only one person I could be with like that, and she's gone...because of me."

"No, because of some evil prick. You've gotta know by now that it wasn't your fault." Wally's expression softened and he placed a hand comfortingly on Barry's shoulder. "You think that dating someone else will automatically erase your feelings for Iris. It won't. You loved her, and she loved you. Nothing can change that. She wouldn't want you to mourn forever."

Barry stared silently at the Hall of Justice, it was big enough to provide a necessary distraction from Wally's sincerity. It was always difficult to take him seriously, especially when he was right.

"You know, you probably haven't noticed... maybe because you don't want to." Wally started, following Barry's gaze to the building longingly. His ultimate goal was to be accepted as part of the League. "But you understand every single word she says now, to the point where you start explaining it to others. You get all sulky when she's not around as well. I think you've got a soft spot for her oddness."

"She's not odd... she's just-" Barry cut himself off and crossed his arms. "Well, yeah. She's pretty weird."

"The point is that you should give it a shot, if you feel the same way."

"It's just... so inconvenient." Barry finally averted his gaze from the structure, and instead, shifted his stare to the ground. "On the slight chance that we actually stop Yan, she'll have to return to her own time. It'll be hard enough without feelings getting in the way."

"I don't think feelings are ever convenient." Wally shrugged. "I know you though, Barry, you'd regret it if she left without knowing."

They stood there in silence for a number of minutes. It wasn't one of those uncomfortable silences that left you cringing at the very memory of. It was a silence between friends, both understanding what the other was thinking without the need for words, and both allowing the passing time to clear their minds.

A lingering shadow began to fall upon the Hall of Justice, and eventually reached its spindly fingers towards the two men. As if on cue, Wally's stomach rumbled loudly and he hunched over with a groan. Barry would have laughed, but he was feeling the same pangs of hunger that his friend was experiencing.

"Hey, you wanna go get Mineko now?" Wally asked desperately. "I don't exactly want to carry her again, she's way heavier than she looks... and she won't be happy if we order pizza without her."

Barry took one more second to consider it. He still wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to do about their mutual feelings, but picking her up instead of making Wally do it seemed like a good start. "Alright. Wait here, I'll be back in a flash."

Wally's responding sigh echoed long after Barry had left. "Can't believe he still uses that line..."


	19. Nineteen

**_Chapter Nineteen: Missing Heroes_**

Barry knew something was amiss the moment they teleported to the Watchtower. It was eerily empty, with nothing but the frantic pacing of heavy boots to fill the silence.

Wally took the lead. He had been anxiously fiddling with his fingers since they entered the Hall of Justice, and it didn't cease even after they went through the transporter. He had a looming feeling of dread that he simply couldn't manage to shake.

The long hall they hurried through was seemingly never ending. Every corner felt barren without heroes training or discussing their recent fights with one another. Either something big had happened to occupy a large majority of Metahumans, or something was terribly wrong.

When they finally reached the room the footsteps were emulating from, Wally threw open the door and scanned the room for at least a quarter of the team he admired. He only found Batman, pacing from one end of the room to the other with his head hung low in deep thought.

All was quiet between the two men until Barry and Mineko stepped into the room. That was when Bruce spun around and tossed three perfectly aimed batarangs at each of their heads. Both Wally and Barry, though admittedly shocked, had no trouble stepping out of the way.

Mineko, on the other hand, had caught the weapon between two fingers as if she hadn't even needed to try and dodge it.

"What the hell was that for?!" Wally yelled, heart still thumping rapidly in his chest. Any faster and it would likely likely start running away from his body.

At the genuine fright in the boys eyes, Bruce appeared to lose some of the tenseness in his muscles. This didn't even return when Mineko threw the batarang back at him. He caught it with ease, though not as much as she had, and shot her an impressed smirk.

"Dude... not cool." Barry said, box of pizza in his hand completely rattled up. He opened the lid and sighed at the messy slices sprawled around the box. "Why do I always forget to put the box down?..."

Mineko shrugged and reached for a piece, trying not to forget how sick she was the last time she indulged in the oily substance. "It is still edible."

With that, she bit off a large chunk of the food and swallowed it down. Barry's disappointed frown transformed into a grin. She was amazing.

In the midst of Barry's admiration and Mineko's chewing, Wally was still unbelievably annoyed at Bruce. He flung his arms up into the air and yelled once more "You can't just go around throwing sharp shit at people! What exactly were you trying to do?"

"I was ensuring that none of you had been compromised." Batman replied lowly and simply.

"Compromised?! That's the best you've got?!"

Batman turned his back to the fuming boy and sauntered towards the large computer behind him. "Considering your recent run-in with the Titans, I thought you'd understand my precaution."

Wally had only just calmed himself down enough to take a slice of deformed pizza, but Bruce's words made it slip from his grasp. "You knew about that?! Well, why the hell didn't you help?!"

"You had it under control." Batman said, sitting at the terminal and watching the video feeds of drones he had flying around different cities.

"You sure?" Barry finally spoke up, mouth full of toppings. "Because we were pretty screwed before Hal and that alien chick showed up."

Batman, as usual, chose to ignore the point Barry had risen and instead brought the subject back to his own concerns. "I had more pressing matters to attend to. Leaguers are disappearing. I assume that it's a similar situation to the Titans. I have anyone that's not compromised out looking for them right now."

"Well, that would explain how empty this place is..." Barry murmured, swallowing whatever bits of food that were left in his mouth. "Who exactly is missing?"

Instead of replying, Batman simply clicked on a small folder on the monitor which folded in on itself and ejected headshots of different Justice League members. The group's eyes scanned the photographs from left to right, only Barry recognising all of them.

First was Beatriz Bonilla da Costa, named 'Fire' by the media due to the green flames that engulfed her entire body. Next was her partner Tora Olafsdotter, called 'Ice' when in uniform because of her varying control over the element. Then came Hawkgirl, Zatanna, Black Canary... and Shazam. Barry held his breath when he saw Billy Batson's picture. He was only a kid, and not only that, it would take some of their biggest hitters to knock him out.

Barry had resigned himself to thinking that it would be Superman that would take him on, but when he saw the last picture his heart dropped. "No..."

Clark Kent's picture was right at the end, undoubtedly the most recent to vanish. The symbol on his chest was only just cut off by the frame, but he had that unmistakable smile shining on his face.

"Clark?..." Wally muttered in shock. "Surely there's been a misunderstanding. Are you sure he didn't just take a break from crime fighting?"

"He would have informed me." Bruce said without a shred of doubt.

Wally was obviously ready to argue that point, but Barry believed him. Clark hated making people worry. He was constantly pinging his whereabouts encase Bruce became paranoid, as he often did, and checking in on the other members of the team. He was like the father of the group. He wouldn't completely vanish unless something was wrong.

"If Yan's got the big guy... then our chances are looking slimmer by the minute." Barry sighed. "But he's an alien right? We have no guarantee that her mind tricks work on him."

"He was raised on Earth." Bruce responded. "His thoughts are primarily human."

"But his molecules aren't... Maybe his brain's made out of something Yan can't penetrate."

"Hawkgirl's missing too though." Wally pointed out. "And she's an alien as well."

"Not all alien's are the same, Wally." Barry tossed the now empty Pizza box into a nearby bin. It didn't fit entirely into it, resulting in half of the rubbish sticking out. "Have you checked Clark's apartment? Maybe he's just busy."

"He's not the only one missing, and Metropolis isn't exactly close by." Bruce said simply.

"You mean you haven't checked?!" Wally said in disbelief. "What kind of search are you conducting here?"

"Instead of whinging, maybe you should go and take a look for yourself." Bruce growled in a way that forced Wally to tightly shut his mouth. "He won't be there but at least you can pretend to be useful."

Any smart-ass reply that Wally could have mustered was held back by how tight his throat suddenly felt. Bruce could be incredibly intimidating when he wanted to be... which was all the time.

"Well, I don't think checking his apartment is such a bad idea." Barry spoke, and by the time Wally had turned around he was already holding Mineko in his arms. "Let's go."

This seemed to lift his spirits a little, or enough to get him moving. The thought of having to face not only Shazam, but Superman as well, had made him feel physically ill for the last few minutes. Now there was hope that he was just at home writing another article for The Daily Planet. That optimism was what drove him forward as he rushed towards Metropolis.

The apartment complex wasn't too difficult to find, but Clark's place was located at the very top floor. It sported a large window that looked directly at the brick wall of the structure beside it. The room wasn't exactly luxurious, but it was certainly discreet enough considering that it was in the middle of the city. It was small though, with less room than even Barry's place.

The apartment clearly gave away Clark's bachelorhood. Everything was functional. The kitchen counter was where he placed unread mail and his key when he was home. On the coffee table was a laptop with a document still left open. It was an article he was likely working on for The Daily Planet about the positive effects of allowing animals to stay in retirement homes. Under the small eating table was a pack of beer, which Wally was a little surprised to see, and he could just guess that the fridge held meals for one... if any at all (Clark didn't need to eat to survive, though he still did it out of enjoyment). He clearly wasn't hopeless though, he knew one end of a vacuum cleaner from the other so the floor was pretty much spotless. He had modern looking newspaper prints on the wall and a small photo of his folks on a side table. He'd never decorated, that's for sure, but that was probably part of his entire charade. If he decorated, he'd look a little less boring, and that would conflict with his disguise.

"Clark?" Barry finally called out after a thorough glance around the empty room. "You here?"

No answer came but the slight creaking of the wind against the window pane. Barry exhaled sharply with apparent disappointment, but still motioned for both Wally and Mineko to start searching the place. The first place Barry looked was the cupboard where, to his delight, he found an only half eaten packet of chips. They were some weird, exotic flavor he'd likely picked up on the other side of the globe but that mattered little to the speedster. When he was hungry, taste wasn't a primary concern.

"What do you reckon his wifi password is?" Wally called from the other room.

"How am I suppose to know?"

Wally walked passed the small side table and picked up a picture of Jonathan and Martha Kent. Clark was in the middle, both arms linked over their shoulders and smiling goofily. "Look at this loser... I bet his password's just 'password'."

Barry rolled his eyes. "That loser's saved your hide more times than I can count on both hands."

Wally pouted his lips then scoffed, bringing his phone out and attempting to connect to his network. "Pfft... It is just password. How is this guy Superman?"

"I have found his telecommunication device." Mineko interrupted from the living room and Barry hurried in, chips clutched firmly in his left hand.

"Why would Clark leave his mobile just lying around?" Wally asked in confusion.

"He wouldn't." Barry replied, starting to believe more by the second that Superman really had been taken by the enemy. "Here, let me have a look. We might find something that can tell us what happened."

The woman passed the device to Barry, their hands briefly touching as the exchange took place.

"Dude, do you even know his passcode?" Wally questioned.

"This is Clark we're talking about. I'm surprised he has a lock installed on his door, let alone security on his phone." Barry said, pressing the middle button and watching the screen flash on. As expected, there was no passcode needed.

There was barely anything on Clark's phone besides a call and text option, no apps, no videos, and only a handful of songs. Barry scoured the device until he finally came to his text messages.

**Jimmy Olsen**

_1 week ago_

**Jimmy**: you coming 2 work C.K?

_sent at 10:00am_

**You**: Yeah, Pal.

Just forgot something at home;

I'll be there in a hot minute.

_sent at 10:12am_

**Jimmy**: don't mean to pester

but perry's looking for you

_sent at 10:58am_

**You**: Sorry, Jim.

I found what I was looking for then I realised that I forgot something else! But on my way back to the apartment I must've dropped my keys and had to retrace my steps to find them. Turns out that thing I forgot was in my pocket the whole time.

What a day... I'm on my way.

I'll be there in another hot minute.

_sent at 11:30am_

**Jimmy**: wow -.- ur more forgetful than me lol

_sent at 11:37am_

Wally, who was peering over Barry's shoulder at the text messages, reaches into the bag of chips Barry was eating and plucked out a handful. He then shoved the lot into his mouth, then said whilst chewing on them "What is a 'hot minute'? What does that even mean? Is it a specific measurement of time? Like, when you expose a minute to extreme temperatures does it contract and get shorter?"

"Shut up for a sec, Wally." Barry murmured as he continued searching Clark's phone.

"Dude, just saying." Wally deflected.

"Why don't you 'just say' somewhere else? I'm conducting an investigation."

"Looking through your friend's texts is not an investigation." He replied with crossed arms.

"Shh." Barry hushed him, exiting out of Jimmy's name and tapping on someone else's.

**_Lois Lane_**

_2 days ago_

**Lois**: You're late again, Kent.

_sent at 9:04am_

**Lois**: Massive fire downtown, suspected to be deliberate. Perry wants us both down there asap. Meet me there in ten.

_sent at 9:06am_

**Lois**: Kent? Where are you?

_sent at 9:20am_

**Lois**: Kent?

_sent at 9:30am_

**Lois**: You call yourself an investigative reporter? Two buildings were gutted by this arsonist, Superman saved everyone inside, and you missed the whole thing.

You're terrible.

If you think I'm sharing the by-line you're crazy.

_sent at 10:00am_

**You**: Oh gee, sorry Lois.

I must've slept in.

I can come over now

and help you write it.

_sent at 10:30am_

**Lois**: Nice try Smallville, but it's still mine.

No roosters to wake you up in the big smoke, farm boy. Maybe try one of them new-fangled alarm clock dohickeys.

_sent at 10:41am_

**You**: Laugh it up. And FYI, dohickey was

pa's favourite word, not mine.

_sent at 10:41am_

Barry tapped out of that conversation as Wally once again submitted his valued opinion "Well, that was just boring work talk."

As Barry scrolled down the contacts, Wally suddenly blurted "Oh, is that Supergirl? The hot blonde chick?"

"Dude, she's his cousin."

Wally shrugged. "Well she's not my cousin. Get into it, I wanna see."

**_Kara Danvers_**

_Yesterday_

**You**: Hey, kiddo.

How's school?

_sent at 1:15pm_

**Kara**: heyy cuz! history and english are interesting

but i know everything in math and science already.

stuff's really different here but i'm doing good

_sent at 1:15pm_

**You**: Mm, is that why you're texting me during class?

_sent at 1:15pm_

**Kara**: lol what it's lunchtime silly xD

_sent at 1:15pm_

**You**: Nope, lunch ended at 12:30 young lady.

_sent at 1:15pm_

**Kara**: \\_(ツ)/

_sent at 1:15pm_

**You**: Nice try though. I'm glad you're doing okay.

I'll see you soon.

_sent at 1:15pm_

**Kara**: ily

_sent at 1:15pm_

**You**: Ily? Typo?

_sent at 1:15pm_

**Kara**: it means i love you, dummy

_sent at 1:15pm_

**You**: I knew that. ;)

_sent at 1:15pm_

**Kara**: no u didn't xD

ur just jealous that i understand more earth stuff than u

_sent at 1:15pm_

**You**: ily ( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)

_sent at 1:15pm_

**Kara**: ಠ_ಠ

_sent at 1:15pm_

Barry once again exited the conversation, scrolling through the remaining list of contacts. He saw his own name and kept scrolling.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Wally said, grabbing another handful of the chips and shoving them into his mouth. "Go back, I wanna see your conversation."

"Uhh... nah." Barry said nervously. "It's private."

"... You talk to him about me, don't you?"

Barry's eyes briefly flicked towards Mineko and he muttered "No, not about you."

He anxiously looked back away from the woman with a heavy sigh. Even before he had that long conversation with Wally, he had been texting with Clark about his situation. He didn't exactly want others peering into those talks.

Desperate for a distraction, he finally found Bruce's name and noticed the intrigue that suddenly engulfed both Wally and Mineko. He clicked on it without hesitation.

**Bruce Wayne**

_2 years ago_

**Bruce**: Clark, only use this number to inform me of your location at least three times a day (9:00am, 12:00pm, and 6:00pm). Any less and I'll assume you're M.I.A, understood?

_sent at 4:15pm_

**Clark**: Don't worry, Bruce. I'll check in whenever I'm in the solar system.

_sent at 4:16pm_

**Bruce**: Let me know if you leave the solar system.

_Sent at 4:19pm_

**Clark**: Sure thing, Pal.

_sent at 4:20pm_

**_1 year ago_**

**Bruce**: ?

_sent at 12:01pm_

**You**: Sorry, Bruce.

I was off world.

I'm at my apartment now

watching Blue Hawaii.

_sent at 12:32pm_

**Bruce**: ... That movie's terrible. Shouldn't you be doing something useful with your time?

_sent at 12:34pm_

**You**: Like what?

Sit in front of a computer all day,

texting all my colleagues

and demanding locations?

_sent at 12:37pm_

**Bruce**: ... Touché.

_sent at 12:40pm_

**_7 months ago_**

**Bruce**: ??

_sent at 9:01am_

**You**: At a United Nations

press conference.

_sent at 9:05am_

**_5 months ago_**

**Bruce**: ??

_sent at 12:01pm_

**You**: Not now.

In a meeting with the president.

_sent at 12:10pm_

**Bruce**: You should have told me beforehand.

_sent at 12:14pm_

**You**: I don't see this stuff coming. It just happens.

_sent at 12:20pm_

**Bruce**: Right. Don't you have x-ray vision?

_sent at 12:25pm_

**You**: Don't joke.

It doesn't suit you.

_sent at 12:29pm_

**_2 months ago_**

**Bruce**: ??

_sent at 6:01pm_

**You**: Sorry, fell asleep. Big day.

_sent at 7:00pm_

**Bruce**: I saw.

_sent at 7:02pm_

**_Yesterday_**

**You**: Hey Bruce, I'm at the Planet

Working on a story for Perry.

I'll be on an interstellar mission

from 5 until early tomorrow.

So don't stress if I don't ping my location tonight.

_sent at 12:00pm_

**Bruce**: Noted.

_sent at 12:01pm_

Today

**Bruce**: ??

_sent at 9:01am_

**Bruce**: ??

_sent at 9:20am_

**Bruce**: ???

_sent at 9:24am_

**Bruce**: ???

_sent at 9:30am_

**Bruce**: ???

_sent at 10:00am_

**Bruce**: ???

_sent at 11:00am_

**Bruce**: ????

_sent at 12:01pm_

**Bruce**: ?????

_sent at 12:30pm_

"Jesus Christ..." Wally swore under his breath. The messages from Bruce just kept going, the most recent series of question marks being sent exactly two minutes ago... and it was 4:00pm. "This guy's like a clingy girlfriend."

"Tell me about it..." Barry mopped. "You still want to be a part of the Justice League? Cause this is what you have to deal with. Seriously. My phone broke and I couldn't reply for one day and he already had a search party out looking for me."

"I... think I'm happy being a Titan." Wally muttered. "You know what Dick does when he wants to know where I am?... He calls me. Like a normal human being. He doesn't send me obnoxious question marks and expect an answer."

"I'm surprised that guy turned out so well, considering who was raising him."

"You and me both."

"There's one from Wally." Mineko suddenly broke through their conversation, leaning over Barry and pressing her finger to the screen.

**_Wally West_**

_Yesterday_

**Wally**: Sup.

Stole this number from Barry.

This reporter extraordinaire Clark Kent? It's Wally, by the way, fastest man alive... not including you or Barry.

_sent at 2:00pm_

_seen at 2:10pm_

**Wally**: Hello? You don't mind that I got this number do you?

_sent at 2:30pm_

**Wally**: ... You do mind, don't you? Oh god, this is my worst nightmare.

_sent at 4:00pm_

**Wally**: (ಥ﹏ಥ)

_sent at 5:30pm_

Wally's entire expression dropped. "He saw my first message! I knew that he saw it!... oh my god he doesn't like me. Superman, the nicest guy in the galaxy, doesn't like me!"

Barry raised an eyebrow at the panicking man and sighed. He was seriously just a younger version of himself... it was like looking into a mirror, but a very anxious and jumpy mirror. "That's not it, Wally. Clark wouldn't have ignored your text willingly. Even if he didn't like you, he'd still speak to you."

"S-So then...?" Wally's voice wavered but he appeared a little calmer than before.

"He was taken just after he saw your message." Barry said confidently. "We better take this back to Bruce. Knowing the exact time could be useful."

"Right! Of course! Why wouldn't he like me?! It all makes total sense now." Wally laughed nervously and slipped the phone out of Barry's hand. "I got the mobile, you got the girl."

Wally zoomed off without even waiting for an argument. Not that Barry was going to anyway. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and directed for Mineko to come closer.

"Ready to go, Mini?"

"Mini?" The woman questioned.

"Uh, yeah... like a nickname? I've been thinking about it for a while." Barry muttered nervously. "Because it feels too formal always saying your full name, and it's funny because your... not mini."

Mineko cocked her head at the man and the lump in his throat shifted further up. "Th-That's not to say that you're fat or anything! But you're just tall and muscular and... uhh it's okay if you don't like it."

"It's not that I do not like it." Mineko said mindfully. "But is it not a little lazy to shorten someone's name like that?"

"Well, Barry's short for Bartholomew but everyone calls be Barry anyway. It's more casual."

"Your name's Bartholomew?..." Mineko said cluelessly, and slightly mortified. "W-Why did you not tell me earlier! I have been incredibly disrespectful by not using it."

"Well, I prefer Barry."

"But it is disrespectful! Technically, I should still be calling you Ser Allen... When did I stop calling you that?! I have brought embarrassment to my monastery... I beg your forgiveness." She bowed lowly, form shaking in a way Barry had never expected out of the girl. Oh god... she was becoming more like him by the second.

"N-No! It's fine I... shouldn't have brought it up. I really would prefer that you keep calling me Barry."

Mineko paused, only now realising how tense she had become. In her own time even many close friends were still not on a first name basis. Still, she was in a different time. She had overreacted, and that caused a flush of embarrassment to brighten her cheeks.

"I... apologise. If 'Mini' is a sign of friendship than I..." The woman tried to avoid Barry's gaze, hoping that he couldn't see how red her face had gotten. "I would like for you to call me that."

Barry's lips curved into a smile. He could clearly see the colour that had brushed onto her face, and felt a little less humiliated by her nervous reaction. He had never seen her blush before. Hell, he'd never seen her genuinely smile until recently. He attempted to engrave the expression in his mind, because he doubted that it would become a common look for Mineko to wear... and he thought it was kind of cute though it wasn't suiting of the usually blunt warrior.

"We should go." Mineko said, apparently trying to bring the attention away from her uneasiness.

"Yeah, we should." Barry replied, smile only widening the longer she averted her eyes from his. He scooped her up, and she gave a surprised squeak when he did so, arms automatically wrapping around his neck. "Hold on tight."

Mineko took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down before flicking her gaze up to meet his. "I always do."


	20. Twenty

**_Chapter Twenty: No Justice_**

Bruce had been staring at Clark's mobile for exactly five minutes and twenty-one seconds, in complete silence, and a grimace caught on his face. His index finger tapped against the side of the device, keeping some undisclosed rhythm that Barry couldn't quite make out. Finally, he placed it on the desk in front of him and brought up a series of video feeds on the giant computer monitor.

"So... does it help?" Wally asked eagerly. He was standing right behind Bruce's chair with one hand gripping onto the leather spine.

"Maybe." Bruce replied, most of his concentration being exhausted by days of searching. "We can determine that Clark went missing soon after reading your message, at around two-ten, so it's safe to assume that he was completely compromised by two-thirty."

"Okay, so he had gone all loopy by two-thirty, but how does that help us?" Wally asked. "We still have no way of finding him."

In the timespan of a few secluded seconds, Bruce had shifted on his chair and enlarged one of the recorded videos. At the very top was a familiar man draped in blue and red, walking like a zombie in a bloodless environment. Barry leaned closer to the screen. There was no doubt. It was Superman.

"This footage was taken at three. A full fifty minutes after he was supposedly captured." Bruce explained, enhancing the image and zooming in on the man of steel. "He's heading west, so we can assume that their base of operations is in that direction."

"That's it? All we have is a direction?" Barry sighed, scrunching up the chocolate wrapper he was holding and shoving it into the bin beside him. "We're never gonna find them with just that-"

At that moment there was a loud beeping sound that pierced through any conversation that was being had. Bruce pressed a button near his left index finger and the noise ceased, only to be followed by an all too familiar voice saying "I have found it."

Bruce glanced up at Barry with a somewhat smug expression and replied "Don't engage, Diana. Return to the Watchtower and we'll plan our attack."

Usually, Wonder Woman would have already fought her way through the gangs ranks before contacting Bruce, but this time was different. She knew that, even if she didn't like it, she'd have to wait for the right moment to strike. She could take on Superman, but it would be difficult, so she certainly couldn't handle him alongside Shazam and whoever else was in there.

Diana switched off her comm and within the hour she had returned to the Watchtower. She looked anxious to get started, but no one was more on edge than Mineko.

"Show me where they are hiding." Mineko had said the moment Wonder Woman walked through the door. "It is time to end this."

"Not yet." Bruce commanded. "We wait here until the others are in position."

"What's taking them so long?" Wally groaned.

"Not all of them have super speed, you know..." Barry answered. "Some of them might have to take a flight over or something."

"I will not wait here another second." Mineko finally broke, straightening her posture to one of clear defiance. "The longer we delay, the more Yan's influence grows. I will do this myself if I have to."

Barry gulped, and as she attempted to step away, he grabbed her wrist. She turned but he said nothing, at least not verbally. On his face was a look plastered in worry, and dread, as if he had already decided that her fate was to die in this fight.

"You have a warrior's spirit, sister." Diana finally echoed from the back of the room. "I understand, but this is not a battle that can be won alone."

Mineko averted her gaze, obviously struggling to keep still. "Fine, but I'm going to wait there. I prefer a less direct approach than the rest of you are planning. If you face her forces head on, she will be given enough time to flee. Let me go. I can infiltrate Yan's defences and reach her before she has the chance to escape."

Bruce's frown lines deepened. "So you intend on using us as a distraction..."

"Does it matter?" Mineko replied quickly. "We may only have one chance at capturing her. I would be of no help in a frontal attack anyway...at least not against people like him."

She nodded towards the headshot of Superman which was still visible on the top half of the monitor's screen. Batman glanced from her to the picture, then back again. He squinted, allowing himself a moment to think before nodding.

"Then I'll go with you." Barry said hurriedly. His grip on Mineko had tightened, and the concern in his voice had become so thick that everyone could hear it.

"There is no need. I can do this on my own." Mineko replied, confused by the tone he had suddenly adapted.

"You'll get there faster if I take you." Barry said desperately.

"We need you with us, Barry." Bruce finally interrupted. "We may run into Reverse Flash on our way in. You did say he was the first to be induced by her, correct?"

"Why else would he bring her here?" Wally responded. "She must've found out about where he was from, made him reveal how he does the time travel thing, then taken control of him."

Bruce ignored Wally's unneeded explanation, then returned his stare back to Barry. "She can go, but only if it's without you."

There was no sound that followed Bruce's order, yet everyone was moving... moving and not talking. The air was so brittle it could snap, and if it didn't, Barry might. A few weeks ago Barry would have agreed without a second thought. He ignored any feeling that arose, anything to ease the terrible burden of Iris' death. Anything to avoid ever experiencing grief like that again. But now he couldn't suppress it, and it was painful.

Fearful thoughts looped around in his mind until there was no room for anything else. The 'loop' played like this. If he stayed and allowed Mineko to go alone, then he wouldn't be able to concentrate on fighting Thawne, but if he went with her there was no one that could take him on...and Wally wasn't nearly experienced enough to face him directly. No matter how much faith he had in Mineko's abilities, he would always worry.

"You really are a heartless asshole." Wally spat at Batman, who simply groaned in response. "Don't worry, Barry. I'll go with her."

"I do not need a chaperone!" Mineko raised her voice again, clearly annoyed by all the fuss.

Wally leaned over very indiscreetly and whispered into her ear "Just go with it. Bats doesn't like anyone who doesn't agree with him."

Mineko pursed her lips but still managed to swallow her pride for long enough to agree with him. "On second thought, Wally's assistance...would be appreciated."

"B-But I-" Barry started, only to be interrupted by Wally.

"I'll take care of her, dude. Don't worry...not that she needs it."

This didn't ease Barry's concern, but it made it more bearable to let her go. He knew he couldn't stop her anyway. He never could. That's what made it so hard to accept.

He nodded, taking a moment to stare into Mineko's dark eyes.They were black, not soulless nor lifeless like he had originally thought them to be. Instead they were like two pristine stones of onyx, that lit up with a purple flare when touched by light.

He, for just a split second, found himself inching nearer to them, but the feeling of Mineko's warm breath against his face reminded him of the last time he had been so close to someone... it resulted in death, and a lifetime of heartbreak. He consciously pulled himself away from her, letting his hand slip from her wrist.

It looked like he wanted to say something, but knew that it would make losing her even more difficult if it happened. It would mean that he had completely accepted his feelings towards her, and that her death would be the final piece in obliterating his heart forever.

"Just... be careful." The Flash managed to say, though it was apparent to even Mineko that he was holding back.

"Do not worry. We will end this and both live to say goodbye before I travel home."

A familiar emotion tugged at his chest at the mention of her leaving but he said nothing about it. He nodded and watched as Wally confirmed the location with Wonder Woman before darting away, Mineko being shoved over his shoulder for the trip.

The rest of them left only half an hour later, stopping at a large courthouse with far too many people wandering outside of it. At every other corner Leaguers were hiding, waiting for the signal to attack. Batman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman resided on the roof of the structure opposite it, from which they could see the rest of the team clearly. Hawkman flew above them, ready to fight through the compromised group and rescue his partner. Firestorm and Red Tornado sat nearby, attempting to be discreet but failing. Closest to the courthouse, Green Arrow stood impatiently. His wife had been taken, and he didn't appear willing to wait much longer.

This was only confirmed when Bruce pressed the button on his communicator and whispered "Go."

Before anyone else had even moved, Oliver had readied five arrows onto his bow string and shot them towards a group of people guarding the entrance. Every arrow hit each of them in the leg, and just as they realised that they were under attack, he had darted behind them then swung his bow in one quick sweep - striking them all in the back of their heads.

"What's the plan now?" Oliver said, urgency weaving through his voice. The answer revealed itself when a few dozen people, seemingly walking by, stopped in their tracks and turned their colourless eyes towards Green Arrow. "Oh... shit."

A creaking sound pierced the air as the courthouse doors opened. From inside came Poison Ivy, a plethora of vines sprouting after each step she made, then followed by one of Oliver's reoccurring headaches...Cupid. Her outfit was the same shade as Oliver's, as if it had been done on purpose, but her hair blazed deep red and clashed strongly with the costume. The arrows on her back were made of light mahogany, and her bow was constructed of fibreglass.

Green Arrow, without any hesitation, darted forward. He nocked an arrow, its tip coated with a tranquillising agent, onto his bow but before he could even aim the sharpened tip at Cupid's wrist, the ground began shaking. Bane had jumped from the ceiling of the structure and landed right in front of Oliver.

Green Arrow skidded to a halt, and after staring wide-eyed at the massive wrestler, he shot the weapon at Bane instead. With venom running through his veins, the arrow barely dented his skin - it only managed to peel back the first layer. Bane smirked mockingly at the man and Oliver gave a nervous cough. "Uh... Hey, lookin' good. Are those two new muscles I see?"

Bane backhanded the witty mortal and he was sent flying into a tree. The outer shell of bark broke at the impact, leaving Oliver with a multitude of bruises that he would surely feel in the coming weeks. It looked like Oliver stood little chance against the three villains and the multiple civilians slowly surrounding him... that is until Batman jumped to his side.

"Oli and I will handle this. Everyone else get inside." Bruce commanded, watching the others disappear into the courthouse without argument. "I don't recall telling you to run in before everyone else."

"What can I say?" Green Arrow exhaled, holding his side as he rose to his feet again. "I like making things difficult."

Inside, things had only gotten worse. It seemed like they couldn't progress a single step without running into one of Yan's pawns. It had started with just regular people she had decided to control for fun, but then a Meta came swooping through the halls like bat out of hell.

Hawkgirl had whacked her mace through the air, only barely missing Firestorm due to Hawkman's interference. "Go. I'll handle Shiera."

The winged man tackled his partner, and they both went spiralling down the opposite end of the building. Wonder Woman was left behind not long after that - when they encountered Cheetah. She was the only one strong enough to handle her. Barry wished that this was the end of it but, unfortunately, the remaining members of the group found themselves in the presence of one of The Flash's greatest enemies. Gorilla Grodd.

The entire situation was immediately suspicious to Barry, who had experienced Grodd's abilities first hand. He was a telepath...one of the strongest Barry had ever met. The question of how Yan could have possibly taken control over him was a hard one to answer.

Apparently, he wouldn't have much time to think about it because the animal suddenly jumped towards them and bashed his fists to the ground. The Flash had managed to move Red Tornado and Firestorm just in time, but the floor quaked enough to make them all stumble. Grodd roared at the top of his lungs and bashed his fists against his chest as if on instinct...and that's what gave him away.

"He's...not under Yan's control." Barry spoke out loud, realising now that the white eyes he saw on Grodd was just an illusion created by the animal. "If he was he'd fight like an empty shell, but he's still acting like Grodd."

"Oh, well that makes things easier." Firestorm stated naively.

"No...it makes things much harder." The Flash's voice wavered anxiously as the ape, not seeing the purpose of maintaining the illusion, stopped imposing the image of his supposed hypnosis into their minds.

"Very clever. For a human." Grodd taunted.

"That was all just a ruse? Why?" Barry barked.

"It is quite the story. Unfortunately you will not be alive to hear it." Grodd snarled before beating his hands against his chest once more and growling savagely. The gorilla charged forward before Firestorm ionized the air in front of him, turning it into solid concrete.

He called to Barry "Go! We got this!"

Barry froze as Tornado and Firestorm engaged Grodd, respectively barraging him with twisters and superheated plasma. He needed to end this...but this was Grodd. No one knew him the way Barry did. Without wasting another second, The Flash blinked and he was standing in the next chamber. If he spent any more time thinking about it, he would've stayed behind.

Suddenly, a clap of thunder reverberated through the cold air, and a bolt of lightning ripped through the ceiling and stuck the concrete floor, blackening the surrounding area. Standing in the smouldering blast mark after the light faded, was a hooded figure with a glowing white lightning bolt on their red costume. Their eyes snapped open, as white as the symbol on his chest.

"Oh no." Barry muttered.

The figure clenched its fist, then thrusted it towards Barry. Luckily for him, the zap of electricity was only moving at the speed of light, so he managed to evade it by twisting free of its path. After that successful feat, Barry was pretty certain that this was it. However...someone patted his shoulder.

"Tag out." Hal quipped as he walked past, winking at Barry.

"How the hell did you get in here?"

Hal waved his ring hand at Barry. "Hmm, alien energy weapon on my middle finger?"

"Shut up. Are you sure you can take him?"

Without another word, Green Lantern constructed a mechanical gauntlet around his arm, reeled back, then lashed out with a devastating uppercut. The blow propelled Shazam upward at a ludicrous speed, almost fast enough to seem that way to Barry. He then secured another construct around Earth's Mightiest Mortal, pulling him back down.

"Where's your girlfriend!?" Barry called over the incredible sound of two gods fighting each other.

"She's busy! Kinda has her own sector to patrol!"

"Oh...! Are you sure you got this!?"

"Oh yeah, Green Lantern's got this!"

Barry facepalmed. "It's really stupid when you talk about yourself in the third-person!" He called as he strolled into yet another chamber.

The next person was someone Barry had expected. He was the reason all of this was possible. He was waiting in the centre of the room, ready for a fight. Reverse Flash, Eobard Thawne.

"Okay...let's do this." Barry muttered to himself. He made a run for Thawne, who seemed to be moving in slow-motion without his own experience and knowledge of his abilities on his side. When they met, Barry easily outmanoeuvred him, slamming an elbow into his face. Thawne stumbled, and Barry landed a barrage of one-hundred and twenty-two punches onto his gut in point two seconds. The built-up force created a shockwave that hurtled Reverse Flash backwards, head over heels.

Barry smirked. It was easier than he expected it to be. He sprinted at Thawne once again, but something speared through the ceiling and into the ground, almost as fast as he was. The impact was incredible. The floor seemed to ripple from the sheer force, and Barry as well as Thawne, was thrown back over ten metres. With a snap, he crashed into the concrete walls of the structure, head and right shoulder ablaze in pain. He knew the feeling, his skull was fractured and his shoulder was broken.

When he opened his eyes, the sight made his mouth drop open.

Hand buried in the ground, cape fluttering in the gentle breeze, was the Man of Steel. He slowly stood from his kneeling position, stark white eyes staring into Barry's soul. Yan wasn't succeeding with Reverse Flash...so she called for backup. Barry's mind raced. She didn't know how strong Superman was. If she did, Barry would already be dead since he got him by surprise. Superman slowly paced forward, towards Barry.

Yan evidently didn't know about Clark's heat vision either...or once again, Barry would already be dead.

"Uh...Hal...?" Barry called timidly. "Is it too late to tag out...?"

Just as suddenly as he appeared, another blue bolt spiked through the building, this time securing its hands around Superman's body. "Kal! Stop!" Supergirl's voice urged.

It was her, Superman's cousin, Kara. She seemed to be overpowering him, but the longer they struggled, the more Yan seemed to learn how to push Clark's limit.

"This isn't you! You have to fight it!" She pleaded.

Barry braced himself onto the wall, clutching his shoulder. Due to his accelerated metabolism, it should heal in a few minutes but he had to make sure Supergirl could hold him off for that long. Suddenly, Superman snapped free and threw a punch at his younger cousin. She easily avoided the strike, because he wasn't moving as fast as he physically could, Barry noted.

"It's me! Kara! Don't you recognise me?!"

Barry cried "It's no use, Kara! You've gotta knock him out!"

"I...I don't want to hurt him!" She argued.

Another strike was thrown, but the Girl of Steel made it look like Superman was a clumsy human trying to catch a fly. Barry grimaced. It was only a matter of time before...

The next strike found its target and impacted on the side of Supergirl's face. She quickly recovered and tossed herself onto Superman, not seeing any alternatives. Kara threw blow after blow onto Clark's head, but his recoiling only seemed to grow less and less noticeable.

Next, someone kicked the previous door off its hinges. Wonder Woman marched inside, eyes strained in focus. She instantly looked to The Flash. "Barry...!"

"I'm fine, Diana! Help her!"

Wonder Woman approached, yelling at Supergirl "Strike him with all of your might!"

"I-I did!" Kara yelped. "It's not working!"

"Then it isn't hard enough!" Diana retorted.

Kara gulped and steadied her fist. She mustered every ounce of strength that she could... but just as she was about to slam it against her cousins temple, she froze. "I-I... I can't! I'm sorry!"

As if she was nothing more than a mere child, Superman whacked the palm of his hand against her forehead and Kara was sent breaking through three different walls. The last one, leading into a room that clearly showed Yan and Mineko in the midst of a battle.

At the sight, Barry bolted into action. Completely forgetting about Reverse Flash, he attempted to reach her but was thrown off course when Thawne tackled him onto the ground. This at least granted the opportunity for Barry to wiggle out of his grip, then bash Thawne's head against the wooden floor - which seemed enough to render him unconscious.

Before Kara or Barry even had the opportunity to get back up, Diana had rushed over to Superman and punched him with all of her might. It resulted in a very large crater being indented into the floor. Superman, for a moment, looked like he had been dazed by the hit. His head swayed dizzily, and his eyes flickered from white to their memorable, vibrant blue.

It had worked... or so they had thought. Within seconds those deep orbs had lost all their colour again and Superman had placed a well aimed kick to Wonder Woman's stomach. She gasped at the sudden attack, managing to stop herself in mid-air before causing any more damage to the courthouse.

"It didn't work..." Kara said in obvious shock. "We'll have to try something else."

"I can see that, Kara." Diana retorted with a sigh of mild frustration.

It didn't take long before Wonder Woman had charged towards Superman again, this time with the Lasso of Truth held firmly in her hands. She twirled it in the air when she was close enough and threw it around his shoulders. The normal Clark would have simply pushed it back over his head, but this one tried to break the rope... and to no avail. The lasso was unbreakable.

This gave Diana enough time to wrap it around the rest of his body, and wrestle him into a body lock - with her arms wrapped around each shoulder and her legs around his abdomen. She tightened the rope until it was securely tangled around his broad figure and attempted to keep him as still as possible.

"I speak to the form I hold. Who are you?" Diana yelled and the lasso lit up in a golden sheen. Superman struggled against it but the lasso demanded an answer. An answer that Yan couldn't give, and that would, hopefully, force Clark's consciousness to surface. "What is your name?"

The real leader dropped to her knees in front of Mineko, just as they were in the middle of a heated sword fight. She held her head and screamed "I don't know who he is!", but this still didn't quench the ropes hunger for truth.

With Yan incapacitated it was all too easy for Mineko to apprehend her, but she was still in a great deal of pain trying to defy the lasso and keep hold of Superman's mind. That much was clear.

"Answer me! Who are you?!" Wonder Woman roared once more and the lasso brightened.

"Superman, He's-" Yan desperately shouted, but that's when she lost all hold over him.

"Clark." The man's voice finally found air. "My name is...Clark...Kent." Superman's body fell limp.

Wonder Woman unravelled herself from his figure with an exhausted sigh. "Suffering Sappho, that took far too long." The Amazon helped Clark to his feet as Supergirl hurried over and did the same.

"Kal...!" She cried in relief.

Clark glanced around the room, trying to take in his surroundings, when Diana stepped back satisfied that her friend was well enough to stand. Supergirl, however, still stood by her cousin with her hands rested on her shoulders.

"Kal...you had me worried there for a second." She said in relief.

"Only a second?" Clark quipped as he clutched his head with one hand. "What happened?"

Mineko emerged from the next room, dragging the unconscious Yan by her feet. "Your body was under the control of this woman, leader of the Dangetsu."

Realising that this meant that someone else had free reign over his Kryptonian abilities, Clark's eyes widened. "Great Scott! Is everyone okay...!? Did I hurt anyone?"

Kara instantly said to him in a comforting tone "No, of course not. We're all fine."

Diana smiled. "Luckily your cousin and I were the main recipients of your attacks."

Barry flexed his shoulder, which was feeling somewhat stiff from his previous injury. "Well. About that. I think you fractured my skull and broke my shoulder."

Supergirl suddenly stared so hard at the Scarlet Speeder that he swore he was going to spontaneously combust. "Barry! By the name of Rao, shut up!"

"Oh no..." Clark murmured. "I...I hurt him. I-I'm so sorry!"

"Great. Look what you've done." Kara sighed with a roll of the eyes. "You know he's sensitive about that!"

Barry suddenly exploded in outrage "Oh, well excuse me for being fragile! I'm the one who got smashed by an alien solar battery!"

"Stop being a baby, your bones are fine! Don't you heal super fast?"

"That doesn't change the fact that your cousin broke my head."

Diana facepalmed. "Okay, enough. Barry, grow up. Kara, Clark did break his head. That's a matter of fact."

Kara pouted at Barry, clearly not happy about Wonder Woman's motherly intervention. "He doesn't have to be a jerk about it..." She muttered.

Mineko, having barely understood some of the interjections being used, brought her attention towards Barry and whispered "Did he really break your head? Are you injured?"

Barry flushed in slight embarrassment and laughed dismissively. "Oh! Nah, I'm alright. Don't worry about me, Mini."

Kara glared at the man, crossing her arms and hissing "You couldn't have told this to Clark about two seconds ago?"

Barry gave Mineko one more slightly nervous smile and turned to face Clark, who was still in the middle of an internal panic. "I really am okay, Clark."

The Man of Steel bit his lip anxiously, eyelids heavy in concern. "Are you sure? Are you in pain? Can I help?... Gosh I'm so sorry, Barry."

"There really isn't any need to-"

Before he could finish his sentence Clark had engulfed him in a gentle hug. Barry almost immediately started rubbing the tall man's back as if he had been expecting it. Mineko raised an eyebrow at the situation and Barry explained "He's a softy, and he really doesn't like being mind controlled."

The fact that he had said that like this happened fairly often only confused the woman even more. Still, she let it slide. The day had already been stressful enough.

When the police finally arrived to take away the plethora of villains that were motionlessly scattered around the building, Kara had already taken Clark to his parents' farm. He needed time alone to recoup. The rest were in the middle of moving immobilised heroes to the Watchtower (among those passed out being Wally).

Mineko, however, had stayed behind. She wanted to ensure that Yan was arrested without any costly mistakes and that she knew her location when it was time to leave. Their fight would be finished in the past to prevent changing the future. Barry stayed with her. Everything had gone relatively smoothly. Mineko was carrying Yan to the cop car whilst the other law enforcers attempted to fit the rest of the villains into a large van.

"Well, that was eventful." Barry exclaimed, eating a newly prepped kebab from a restaurant in India that he liked to visit (he had been gone no longer than ten minutes, and most of that was waiting for them to cook his food). "Turned out better than I thought though."

"How so?" Mineko asked as she manoeuvred Yan into the seat. "Did you doubt your friends' abilities?"

"Against people like Superman and Shazam? Yeah, a little." Barry shrugged honestly. "But I think they doubted themselves as well so there's nothing to be too upset about."

"When someone doubts themselves or a plan this critical it is your job to whip them into shape." Mineko replied. "You must have faith in them, and in yourself, or no one else will. It is a path to certain failure."

"It worked out alright..."

"Because I had enough faith for both of us." Mineko said with a smirk.

"You're starting to sound like the boy scout." Barry sighed, almost missing Mineko's furrowed brow. "It's just something we call Superman... never mind."

"I believe it is more accurate to say that he is starting to sound like me. I am older, after all."

Barry started to mutter something, but his eyes snapped in her direction after he had properly processed her words. "Was that a joke?"

"You sound surprised."

He blinked at her, lips slowly stretching into a grin. "Can you blame me? You're always so serious-"

At that moment Barry heard a familiar sound penetrate the air. He looked over his shoulder to see nothing. Reverse Flash was gone, but he assumed one of the cops had taken him away, but when he looked back all he saw was Mineko being thrown through the air. That's when he realised that Thawne had escaped, and Barry's heart stopped.

Everything usually went by so slowly in his eyes, but this was so quick that by the time he had flashed to Mineko's side she had already hit the floor. It was like he was watching what had happened to Iris all over again, and this time he knew he couldn't live with it.

"Mineko!" He screamed without full knowledge of his own actions. His voice was drenched in pain and heartbreak as he finally held her body in his arms. She was paralysed, winded... but she was alive. He could hear her trying to catch her breath. He could see her eyes widen when he came into view. "Y-You're-"

He didn't even finish his sentence. Instead, he brought her to his chest and held her so tightly that he was afraid that she'd disappear if he let her go. His entire body was shaking, his arms more than anything. Once Mineko had recovered from her shock, she also noticed that a few quiet whimpers escaped his throat every now and then.

"Did he h-hurt you?" He asked with urgency after calming himself down. He pulled away and Mineko could finally see what was happening behind him. She froze. "Mini? Are you-"

Barry turned, a gasp jumping from his throat at what he saw. Yan was hanging halfway out of the car, throat slit and blood pouring into a puddle beneath her. Thawne had obviously despised the idea of being used, so much so that he risked getting caught in his escape to murder her.

The Flash gulped. She had died in the modern day and that was sure to mess up some of the timeline. Doctor Fate really wasn't going to like this...


	21. Twenty-One

**_Chapter Twenty-One: A Tear In Time_**

"The balance has been disturbed. This timeline has permanently changed due to your recklessness." Doctor Fate scolded. "This all could have been avoided if you had just kept an eye on Reverse Flash."

Barry stood in front of the helm wearer, biting his lip guiltily and constantly shifting his gaze from the floor to the wall, then back again. Anything that could ensure that he avoided looking at Doctor Fate.

Mineko, who had been waiting there for several seconds, decided that this was the most appropriate time to speak. "Can you not just travel back in time and fix this?"

"It's... not that simple." Barry admitted with a heavy exhale. "Time travel seems like the easy way out, but it never is. It'll only make things worse."

Mineko cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow. "I do not think I understand."

Barry dared a glimpse at Doctor Fate, who had crossed his arms impatiently but still waited for Barry to provide her with an explanation. "It's... uhh... Well, changing the past creates a sort of tear in time and space. As a result, the universe tries to equalise the instability by altering reality to compensate for the changes. Going back will reopen that tear, and if I fail to change her death, then space-time won't be able to repair itself as seamlessly as before. So, for example, Yan's death may have effected a dozen people this time, but if it happens again it could change hundreds and more severely."

"Then the solution is simple. Do not fail."

"If I somehow manage to save her there's no guarantee that the universe won't try and kill her some other way." Barry tried to explain, but it didn't look like Mineko completely understood. "She wasn't meant to die in our time, but she did. That leaves a mark...a scar. One that affects the future and the past so deeply that even travelling back to before it was made won't fix it."

Mineko shook her head, obviously perplexed by the entire conversation. That's when Barry finally noticed. Her hair was much shorter, so much so that it bobbed around her face whenever she moved. It was, the last time he checked, so long that on the rare occasion that she left it out it scraped across the very top of her thighs.

"H-Hey, when did you cut your hair?" Barry asked off topic.

Mineko was silent as the grave for a few moments before answering with confusion stinging her tone. "What do you mean? It has always been like this."

Doctor Fate shot Barry a very specific glare, one he knew all too well. Mineko's appearance was only one of the things that had been changed due to Yan's death. Not to say that it was a bad thing, her hair being shorter revealed her face more. It was cute.

"Oh, sorry, I must be misremembering..."

"Then can we get back to the topic at hand?" Mineko said eagerly. "You're saying that me being here, even if I attempt not to interact with anyone, has still altered the lives of people I've never met?"

"Yeah, it's pretty confusing."

"And that is why you must leave as soon as possible." Doctor Fate stated. "So much has already been altered. We do not want to upset space-time anymore than we already have."

Mineko nodded solemnly. "Then I will leave as soon as I'm able. Please just allow me a day or two to gather my things. Leaving anything behind could cause even further damage."

Fate allowed this, though he wasn't enthused by the prospect of her staying a little longer. Barry, on the other hand, was suddenly filled with dread at the idea of her leaving. He knew the day would come, but not that he would be so close to her when it did.

Barry was so lost in his own thoughts that he barely noticed when Doctor Fate left, nor when Superman arrived before he patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, pal. The good doctor giving you trouble again?"

"He always does." Barry sighed, sadness evident in his voice though he tried to hide it. "What are you doing here anyway? Didn't you have a date with Lois? Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Lois? Lois Lane?" Superman questioned with a bewildered gaze. "I wish."

Barry gave his friend a sympathetic look. This was apparently another thing that had been changed, and Barry couldn't help but feel guilty about it. He knew how much Clark liked Lois, and how long he'd waited for a chance to ask her out... and how hard it was to get her to agree with her eyes always on his alter ego. Now all that work was for nothing, and he was back to square one.

"Oh... right." Barry said lowly. He really hated time travel. "What I mean is... you should ask her out. I'm sure she'd say yes."

Superman smiled at his encouragement. "Maybe one day, but for now I have to skaddale. Warring alien tribes in the galaxy next door and all that."

The Man of Steel gave both him and Mineko a wave then flew out of the Watchtower. Barry barely had the chance to return the gesture before he disappeared. He was still so preoccupied with not only the fact that this world was different to how he remembered it, but that Mineko was leaving, and he wasn't even sure if she still felt the same way as he did. Perhaps this version of her never harboured any feelings towards him at all...

Abruptly, much to Barry's wide-eyed disbelief, a little man appeared in a white flash right before him. "Hey! What's the big idea you onesie-wearing doofus?!"

Barry glanced at Mineko, but she seemed to be frozen in time. In fact, it seemed like he and this tiny old man were the only things moving at all.

"Yeah, I'm talkin' to you!!" The man howled.

When he turned his eyes back to the weird little guy, a cog in Barry's mind suddenly snapped into motion. "Mxyzptlk...?! Wait, why are you bugging me? Big Blue just left the--"

"I'm buggin' you because you just messed everything up!! Again!! First it was that little Flashpoint thing, and now this!!" Mxyzptlk reaches into his pocket and pulls out a very large framed photograph of Lois and Clark together, which was clearly way too big to fit into said pocket. "The most important couple in comic book history!! The OG damsel in distress and the OG goody two-shoes!! MY OTP!! GONE!! KABLOOEY!!" He snapped his fingers and the photograph changed. Lois was replaced by a rather grumpy-looking blonde woman with icy blue eyes that appeared to be dead inside. "WHAT AM I STUCK WITH?! A MENTALLY-CHALLENGED DEATHSTROKE RIP-OFF WITH BOOBS AND PERMANENT MOOD SWINGS!!"

"...Uh...um...what?" Barry muttered.

Mxyzptlk's head turned bright red and his eyes began to sputter out with steam, not figuratively but rather literally to Barry's amazement. "I was enjoying some well-written story by actual professional writers and now you mucked it all up!! Some loser on the internet who thought they could write is at the helm now thanks to you and your STUPID plot-hole-filled time travelling!! Do you know what they named that broad?! Silvia Stone. What kinda stupid name is that?! Nineteen-sixties Marvel called, they want their alliteration back you idiots! Oh and guess what?! She ain't even related to Cyborg so what's the friggin' point!! It's almost as bad as Camille, a friggen human becoming the Queen of Atlantis! Or Batman dating some alien called Rahn! It's sickening!"

"Wait, can't you just change it all back? Aren't you super powerful?"

"Yes. Yes I am. But I want to shout at you some more and maybe see how this crappy fan-fiction stuff pans out." He crossed his arms and began to slowly float across the room. "Do you know what the worst part is? The stupid writer wants to focus on finishing your story first before they move on to the Wonder Woman one! Now THAT one is actually good unlike all of these other ones! Bastion? Now that's a real man!"

Barry blinked rapidly, not really understanding a single thing Mxyzptlk was saying. Regardless, the fifth-dimensional being continued on his continuity-concerning rant "At least you and Superman still die in this reality. The writer almost skipped that crap because they were too lazy. Oh by the way, before I go, I can't have you spoiling reality for all your pals so I'm gonna 'Will Smith in Men In Black' your memory away."

"I'm pretty sure you don't have to do that. I have absolutely no idea what you've been talking to me about."

"Nice try, but I'm not takin' any chances. I don't want anyone else knowin' that you guys exist in comic books and poorly-written fan fiction in a different dimension. That Deadpool guy from Marvel figured it out and he just got annoying. Not that he wasn't always annoying."

With a click of his fingers, the man was gone, and within seconds Barry couldn't recall anything that had happened. He squinted, scratched his head, but still didn't remember the previous events. Eventually he just shrugged it off and assumed that he had simply zoned out - which wasn't exactly uncommon for him.

"I should go..." Mineko's voice jolted him back into complete alertness. "I must prepare for the journey back."

Barry's heart dropped. "You don't really want to go, do you?"

"Want and need are two entirely different things. There is no choice. There never was."

"There's always a choice..."

Mineko's eyes fluttered closed, as if she were trying to compose herself. She was hurting just as much as he was, maybe even more. Returning after everything she had seen was almost cruel, but she believed it to be necessary. Duty before emotion, that's how she had always been. However, she allowed herself a small indulgence in the form of a kiss placed gently on Barry's cheek. The boy's heart leapt from its previous slump and thumped like a winning racehorse on a betting track. He gasped, only slightly, enough to let at least a little oxygen into his lungs that had suddenly been relinquished of all air. Somehow, after his shock and nervousness had dwindled, the sorrow hit him harder than before. This was not a kiss of friendship, nor of admission, nor of blind naivety, this was a kiss of goodbye.

"I will... see you at the apartment. I'll catch a ride with Wally." She said grimly, but Barry didn't believe her for a second.

"Why not come with me now?" He said desperately. "I want to spend some time with-... I mean, I want to make sure you're fully prepared."

"I have a few things I must do first." Mineko's voice grew smaller the more she permitted herself to speak. "Please, these are not matters that I can discuss with you yet."

Barry wanted to stop her. To tell her how much he wanted her to stay, but he was childish enough to trust her. Despite every part of his being begging him not to let her go, he did, and once he was back at his apartment he realised just how much he regretted it. He waited. Minutes, hours, all day, but she never returned to him. He didn't even know if she was still in his era... or if she had been dead for centuries.


	22. Twenty-Two

**_Chapter Twenty-Two: Life Behind Bars_**

Dark, empty, cold, the room stood silently at the end of the corridor. The fluorescent lights flickered and illuminated the nail scratched walls. Lifeless shadowed figures curled up in the corners of their cells, whispering their darkest secrets. Henry Allen carelessly dragged his feet across the floor, the baggy prison jumpsuit hung from his scrawny figure. The guard removed his handcuffs and his skeletal fingers rubbed his sore wrists.

"You have a visitor." The guard informed him, the usual harsh tone never relenting for even a second.

When Henry had first arrived, this particular guard had made his incarceration a living hell... but watching Henry's son visit, and after a specifically heated argument with Barry, he was starting to believe that he may have actually been Innocent. He wasn't alone in this opinion. Henry was simply too out of place within the prison; he never fought and he never argued. He was a broken man, only ever flickering to life when he saw his son.

"Barry...?" Henry asked in a dead tone, yet there was a sparkle of hope in his eyes.

"No." The guard said, attempting to swallow any sympathy that may have surfaced. He had to maintain a certain appearance to scare the other prisoners, no matter how heartless it seemed. "Not this time."

The man's shoulders slumped, and he reverted to the walking corpse of a man he had become. Any curiosity he may have once felt towards the visitor had dissipated in the first year of his confinement. The guard had to guide him to the visitation booth as the man had, once again, retreated into his own mind.

Upon arriving, Henry sat obliviously in the chair behind a thick glass window and picked up the nearby phone. It took several seconds, but he managed to return to reality for long enough to glance at who was behind the glass. It was a woman. One with shoulder-length black hair, and eyes just as dark. He had never seen her before, but the man standing behind her was very familiar.

"Wally?" He asked, and suddenly he had regained a small amount of energy. His son had brought Wally to meet him once, after they became close friends. He was grateful about how understanding the young man had been about the situation.

"Good to see you again, sir." Wally smiled, though he looked a little anxious about being there. "This is Mineko - Barry's friend. She wanted to meet you."

"Friend?" Henry teased, much less glum then he had been a moment ago.

Wally chuckled then shrugged light-heartedly. "So he says."

A small smile crept onto Henry's face and this glimmer of joy was enough to help him shift the conversation to Mineko. "I regret that we have to meet like this. I hope it doesn't make you think less of my son."

Part of Mineko wanted to remind the man that his actions had no effect on how anyone perceived his son, but instead she simply shook her head and jumped straight to the reason she was there. "This may sound inappropriate to ask on our first meeting, but it is important that I hear your answer. I want to ensure that the decision I am about to make is the correct one. Did you kill your wife?"

The man sat there, not even surprised by her question, and dominated by a profound sadness, fatigue engraved on his worn face. He warmed his shivering hands by rubbing them together. The sorrow grew more intense with each passing moment, the question reviving memories of the loss he'd encountered in a previous life. Though he was engulfed by his pain, the man didn't cry. His grief was beyond something that could be so easily defined.

Henry shook his head but didn't appear even the slightest bit angered by her speculation. "I would never..."

It didn't take long for Mineko to respond. "I believe you. Thank you for indulging such a sensitive topic."

Henry didn't respond. He simply glanced at the wooden table beneath him and gripped the phone tighter to his ear. Wally looked eagerly at Mineko and she nodded at him. "Go inform the others."

Wally flashed Henry a smile much happier than he had ever seen on the boy. He looked so excited. Henry wasn't use to seeing people with that expression when they were visiting him. Henry, unfortunately, didn't get the chance to ask about it because Wally turned to leave the building not long after.

Mineko stood up, as if she were expecting Wally to return sometime soon despite the fact that he had only just left. "It is regrettable that you have missed so much time with Barry, and that you have not had the chance to completely know him in his adulthood."

Henry averted his gaze and attempted to contain the next wave of sadness that hit him. "He's grown to be a fine young man even without me. I couldn't be prouder."

"That is not all he is. You must understand him if you are to avoid missing the next few years of his life."

"What do you-"

"It may make no sense now, but it is imperative that you listen. Your son is the strangest man I have ever met. He is childish, excitable, and easily anxious. He watches cartoons that I am informed are meant for kids, and he never stops eating... ever. He somehow manages to be late to everything, and he is constantly disappearing with his friends at inopportune times. Not to do anything a father should not be proud of, but it is still something you should avoid asking him about. There are some things you may never know about him, and you may feel a slight disconnect as a result, but know that if he decides not to confide in you that it is for your own benefit."

Mineko passed something to the officer on her side of the glass and he took it over to Henry. He grasped it in his hands and looked down. It was a wooden figure, hand carved, and with incredible detail. He instantly recognised it as Captain Kirk from a television show he loved as a child. One that he had introduced to Barry on his 5th birthday. Star Trek.

"Do me a favour and give that to Barry the next time you see him." Mineko said with a warm smile that didn't suit her at all.

"Why don't you give it to him yourself?"

"You will likely see him before I do." Mineko answered simply just as Wally walked back through the door. "It was nice meeting you, Ser Allen."

Wally gave the man a wave and left with Mineko following closely behind. Henry was escorted back to his cell but permitted to keep the small figurine with him. It brought him a certain comfort that he hadn't felt since he was young. One that can only be brought by the joy of nostalgia, and his favourite memory - watching the episodes with his son and wife.

Meanwhile Wally had taken Mineko to the meeting place she had set up with Superman and Wonder Woman. They both stood tall, waiting for her arrival and gave welcoming smiles when she finally became visible.

"How did it go?" Wally immediately asked them.

"Well, typically it would take months to approve a retrial especially in the case of new evidence arising in a case this old." Superman answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "But I've helped out here on occasion, saved the building a couple times... and apparently I rescued a judges' grandson on a field trip gone astray. She's the one that agreed to move the case forward."

"Stop showing off." Wally pouted and Superman smirked. "When is it on?"

"Tomorrow morning." Superman finally said. "Apparently she agrees with my sentiment that a potentially innocent man shouldn't be stuck behind bars any longer. I've also informed her of the method we'll be using. She seemed excited to see the Lasso of Truth in action."

"I regret that I will not know the outcome of this trial..." Mineko sighed. "But I will trust that you secure Ser Allen's freedom."

"Doctor Fate said he would give you until tomorrow, did he not?" Wonder Woman said quizzically. "You may have time to attend the hearing."

"I do not think that would be appropriate..." Mineko replied, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "It is not my place."

"Are you kidding? This was your idea!" Wally said with slight outrage. "Is this because Barry's gonna be there? Because that's exactly why you should go. He'll want to thank you."

"His thanks is not necessary. I already know that he will be grateful, words will not make me more aware of it." Mineko sighed. "And it would only complicate the situation... He should be focused on his father, not on saying farewell."

"But where will you stay tonight? He-"

"Doctor Fate wishes that I stay close by to ensure that I make no more irreparable changes to this timeline." Mineko bowed lowly. A gesture she was certain Wally wouldn't understand, but that Clark and Diana certainly did. "I appreciate everything you are all doing for him, and for me. It has been an honour."

Diana placed a closed fist to her chest and lowered her head respectively. Clark, on the other hand, placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and spoke. "Meiyo wa wareware no mono."

Mineko's back suddenly straightened in surprise, then her features softened. She gave him a small yet sincere smile and replied. "Thank you."

"You speak Japanese?!" Wally exclaimed, ruining the comfortable silence that had followed .

Clark stepped away from Mineko and shrugged his large shoulders. "I'm a reporter. I have to."

"...Something tells me that's not the reason you know it."

From behind them a magical gateway appeared into being and Doctor Fate floated out of it. He gestured for Mineko to go to him and the woman didn't hesitate. She had almost made it to the helm-wearer before she felt something engulf her.

"I'll... uh..." Wally's voice murmured, sadness apparent as he hugged her tighter. "You've... been a good friend. I'm glad Barry dragged you out of the Middle Ages."

Before Mineko could respond, Wally had let go of her and shuffled back towards Superman. She wasn't sure if she knew what to say to him anyway. He had become important to her, perhaps not in the same way as Barry, but still enough to ensure that she'd miss him.

Instead of speaking another word to the speedster, she simply stepped through the barrier Fate had created. Not looking back. Not even once. It would be more difficult if she did.


	23. Twenty-Three

**_Chapter Twenty-Three: Justice For All_**

Barry was a heavy yet chaotic sleeper. He was constantly moving - whether it be swinging his leg at a nearby wall or slapping himself across the face. He always woke up with an array of new bruises, ones that he couldn't quite recall getting.

With this in mind, it came as no surprise to Wally that waking him up would be a challenge. He had attempted spilling cold water on Barry's face, dragging him off the couch, and yelling into his ear but nothing seemed to even stir him.

Taking a few seconds to think, Wally took hold of his service station bought pies and bit into it. It wasn't the juiciest or most succulent one he'd ever had but it did a good enough job to satisfy his craving.

He was just considering dropping him out of the window when he heard a sniffling sound. Wally furrowed his brow and glanced down just in time to see Barry's eyes snap open.

"Is that... pie I smell?" He said wearily, eyes searching for the cause of such a scent.

Once he had found it, Wally found himself holding nothing but air - the paper wrapped pie having been snagged by a still delirious Barry. After a few bites the man's tired eyes looked a little more alert, and the grumbling in his stomach had slightly ceased... but not completely perished, because it rarely did.

Wally sighed, rubbing his own stomach in hunger. "Can't you ever buy you're own food instead of taking mine?"

Barry, clearly more awake now, shrugged with a final bite of the scrumptious confectionary. "I'm teaching you a lesson, as you're mentor - you're too slow. I'm like Mr Miyagi and you're my karate kid apprentice."

"...Why do you always get to be Mr Miyagi?"

"Because I'm the ageing and highly skilled master, and you're my sidekick." Barry stated simply. "And that would make Mineko my-"

Barry paused, all light-heartedness sinking from his expression. Suddenly, he remembered what had happened, and how long he had waited for her to never return. His eyes fell to the floor, concentrating on a single particle of dust in an attempt to distract himself from the sudden heaviness in his chest.

Wally, of course, noticed immediately and motioned towards the door. "Hey, I didn't just come here for you to steal my stuff. Follow me."

Barry, to be quite frank, didn't want to go racing after his friend in such a state. He doubted it was anything important, but Wally simply wouldn't take no for an answer.

Barry left with him, hoping that this would be a complete waste of time so that he could run back home and dwell in his misfortunes. That, however, was not the case. Wally had taken him to a courthouse... not unlike the one they had fought Yan in. He was seated at the front row, but that didn't prevent him from noticing the calibre of people viewing the upcoming case.

He recognised almost all of them. Billionaire Oliver Queen sat next to his wife Dinah right behind Barry, urging him on with friendly smiles. Next to them were John Jones (the Martian Manhunter in a human disguise) and Hal Jordan, one of Barry's closest friends.

Before he had a chance to turn to them and ask when the hell was happening, the doors to the courtroom were flung open and two figures that caused Barry's breath to hitch walked in. The room was flooded with surprised gasps as Wonder Woman and Superman entered the chambers, both striding tall and proud as always. Superman had a silver device wrapped under his arm. Barry's face twitched as he leant over to Wally and whispered "Hey. Hey Wally. What the f--"

Wally instantly interjected with a hiss "Shut up and pay attention."

The two key members of the Justice League strode into the centre of the room and greeted Judge Caroline Fisher. The woman nodded at them and said "Thank you both for coming to me with this."

Superman nodded curtly and said "Thank you for listening, your honour."

Judge Fisher looked about the courtroom and announced "We are here on this day to witness the presentation of new evidence in the case of Nora Allen's murder."

Barry's eyes suddenly widened.

"Legally speaking, alien science and 'magic' aren't officially recognised in the court of law...but given the continued normality of these things in modern society, the President himself has granted recognition of supernatural sources not only today but every day onward."

This was massive...this changed everything, Barry thought. The amount of innocent people that could be freed, and the amount of guilty people that could be incriminated would double.

With a smile, the judge continued "I am honoured to preside over the first hearing to include such pieces of evidence. First and foremost, we have Superman to thank for voicing his concerns to the President himself, leading to this radical change in policy."

Clark nodded modestly, looking a bit bashful in light of the praise. She turned to Wonder Woman and said "Of course, Princess Diana of Themyscira has agreed to lend us her Lasso of Truth today and whenever any American court is in dire need of it."

Wonder Woman, in contrast to Superman, responded by looking Judge Fisher in the eye with a burning passion.

Judge Fisher nodded to one of the guards by her side and he entered the door behind him. "Henry Allen, the only suspect of his wife's murder has been serving time in prison for the crime despite initial claims that he was not responsible. Now, with the assistance of Princess Diana, he will be compelled to confess the truth."

The guard returned, escorting a man in an orange jumpsuit to the witness stand. The man's eyes instantly picked out Barry in the crowd and watered at the sight of his son. Superman then spoke "If it's any consolation, your honour, I personally vouche for this man's character."

"That's a big call, especially from you. Now, Your Highness, if you would." Judge Fisher said to Wonder Woman.

"It would be my pleasure." Diana declared. She approached the Judge, who looked quite bewildered to be in the same room as Wonder Woman. "I will demonstrate to the court that this magic is no trick." Diana explained. She laid the Lasso of Hestia onto Judge Fisher's hand and asked "What is your name and what is your occupation?"

"Caroline Jane Fisher, Judge for the Central City District Courthouse."

"I will once again ask for your name and occupation, but instead of answering truthfully, tell me that your name is Jane Doe and you work as a saleswoman. Easy enough, yes?" The Judge nodded as Diana instructed her. "Now...what is your name and occupation?"

The Judge's face scrunched up in a peculiar manner, as if she was desperately trying to fight some sudden urge. The courtroom's occupants watched in anticipation as Judge Fisher struggled with some internal force...but fruitlessly. "Caroline Jane Fisher, Judge for the Central City District Courthouse!" She blurted, seemingly holding it in for some time.

Quiet laughter aired through the room, and Judge Fisher shook her head. "...I now have no doubts... Thank you. Now you may question the defendant."

Wonder Woman moved over to Henry and placed the Lasso onto his arm. "What is your name?"

"H-Henry Allen."

"What crime were you found guilty of?"

"The murder of my wife Nora over twenty years ago."

"Did you kill your wife, Mister Allen?"

"No."

The questioning happened so quickly and it seemed that Henry himself was shocked to hear his answer. Barry's eyes gathered tears and his lips quivered.

"Superman, you may bring forth the next subject." The judge said.

Clark glanced at Henry and asked "This is the man we think was the real perpetrator. Would you like to leave."

Henry shook his head and opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Hesitantly, Superman raised the Phantom Zone Projector he held and pressed a key on its side.

With a red flash, another figure appeared in the courtroom, arms binded by an intricate set of Kryptonian cuffs. Barry recognised him as Hunter Zolomon, Professor Zoom. He was the one who killed Iris... and his mother. Apart from his name, Barry knew nothing else about the speedster. And that troubled him.

The man glanced about the courtroom, seemingly shocked by his sudden change of place. He tried to access the speed force, but the cuffs he wore did more than restrict his arms. They cut him off from his stolen abilities with Kryptonian energy manipulation technology.

Henry furrowed his brow. Barry hated seeing him so conflicted. It's been so long that he might even believe that he killed Nora.

Wonder Woman approached him, towering over the man with a death stare. She tightly wound the Lasso about his arm and urged "Who are you?"

"H-Hu...E-Eobard Thawne...!" The man hissed, attempting to resist the Lasso.

Barry's eyes snapped open. In fact, there was a unison of gasps that sounded from the Metahumans present... those in costume and out. Thawne primarily set his sights on Barry, but they all knew of him. He was Reverse Flash...so how could this much older man be him?

Barry already knew the answer. Time travel...it was a constant pain in his ass. There was no doubt that this was, somehow, an older version of his arch nemesis. He must've been using the alias of Hunter Zolomon whilst in the present day before his arrest...but it suddenly made sense.

"Were you present the night Nora Allen was murdered?"

Thawne growled as he tried to fight it, but like the Judge before him he was no match for the enchantment. "Yes!"

"Did Henry Allen murder his wife?"

The supercriminal screamed in exertion, convincing everyone else who doubted the Lasso that it was in fact a truth agent. Thawne collapsed to his knees, silent. He then muttered "...No."

Wonder Woman scowled at him. "Who did?"

Seconds of silence washed over the courtroom...then he replied "Me. I killed her. I stabbed her with the kitchen knife to make it look like Allen did it."

Henry's face was blank as he stared at the deranged criminal. With a bang, he pushed his chair into the wall behind him and stood. In the blink of an eye, Superman was by his side, a hand on his shoulder. It wasn't in intimidation, but more as an apology. An apology that he had to face the man who ruined his life.

Tears edged their way down Barry's face. That man had hurt everyone Barry cared for. He felt like running over and bashing his skull against the brick wall... but it would do no good. It wouldn't give him any closure, and more than that, he needed to be strong for his father.

Henry was still standing, fists clenched and tears spilling down his cheeks. He could feel Superman's hand on his shoulder but it provides no solace. He wanted to kill that man for what he had done. For taking his wife, and keeping him locked up away from his son.

"This won't help you." Superman whispered to him. "A reaction is what he wants."

He was right, of course, but that didn't take away the pain. He sat back down ever so slowly, heart racing as if it might burst out of his chest and hurt the man itself.

"Why did you commit such a crime?" The Judge finally asked. A question Henry was too infuriated to think about.

"To hurt his son." Professor Zoom said without hesitation this time, like he would have admitted it even without the Lasso.

This was so shocking that it dragged Henry out of the blind rage he was dwelling in. He looked back at Barry with an air of complete and utter confusion. "My son... but he was just a kid. What could he have possibly done to you?"

That was the moment that Diana swiftly untangled Professor Zoom from the Lasso and shook her head. "Do not try and make sense of this maniac's words. He admits his guilt. That's all that matters."

Diana had, yet again, saved Barry from an identity crisis. Thawne would surely have answered honestly, admitting to the whole room who Barry actually was. He didn't need the audience running off to tell some news publication, and as much as he loved his father, but he didn't want to involve him in his other life. Not only was it dangerous, but he'd never approve...and he'd been through enough.

"In light of this admission of guilt, I am forced to make the decision without a jury." The judge declared. "Eobard Thawne, you are found guilty for the murder of Nora Allen. It's a shame that life sentences are the worst I can offer, but I'm assured that the Phantom Zone is far worse than any prison. So that's where you'll carry out sentence for the rest of your days."

Thawne's eyes widened, and for a split second, Barry could see the horror in them. The Phantom Zone was an interdimensional realm outside the normal space-time continuum. It was literal nothingness - barren and absent of any physical material. Even the passing of time seemed to stop in such a place. It was enough to drive even the sanest of men to their breaking point. Only the most disciplined individuals could retain their sanity.

The older version of Thawne glanced around the room with the expression of a desperate man. He then leapt to his feet and dashed towards the door - attempting an escape...but the cuffs he wore prevented him from connecting to the Speed Force so he could merely run like a normal man.

He couldn't even reach his destination before Superman suddenly appeared in front of him. He shook his head with a 'tsk'. "Come now. I don't think Judge Fisher called for recess just yet."

The Man of Steel held up the Phantom Zone Projector and pressed its arming key. Before this future Thawne could scream in objection, he was consumed by light and vanished back into his eternal prison.

The judge turned back to Henry, not batting an eye at the scene that had unfolded in front of her. "I cannot apologise enough for your wrongful verdict so many years ago... Though it won't make up for what you've lost, you'll be compensated for your time behind bars."

Henry looked as if he hadn't heard her correctly...like he was waiting for some sort of confirmation. The judge sensed this. She'd dealt with cases like this before, and it was always difficult for the prisoner to believe they weren't returning to jail.

"This hearing has proved your innocence." The judge assured him. "You're free to go."

Henry was silent as the grave. It didn't compute. He thought he'd be in that cell forever. He'd resigned himself to dying in there...and now he was free. He could go wherever he wanted, he could see his son everyday, he could eat more than sloppy oatmeal and rice. He no longer knew how to process that reality.

This should have been one of the happiest moments of his life, but Henry had been whittled down to nothing but an empty shell. At least that's how it felt. He didn't know if he could ever live as a normal man again, even with his freedom.

This moment of uncertainty was quickly put to rest when he saw his son stand from his seat. Barry, who had spent most of his life fighting against his fathers incarceration, looked more like a child now than he ever had before. His legs trembled, his arms grabbed fistfuls of his own shirt and he bit his quivering lip in a failed attempt to look strong.

Henry was suddenly reminded of the time Barry had run off inside of the mall and gotten lost. He was only four years old. When they found him again he looked just as he did now - relieved, yet guilty. Overjoyed, yet full of sorrow.

Barry stumbled over to his father, and was immediately engulfed in a tight hug. He sobbed into his fathers chest unceasingly, hands clutching at his jumpsuit. He held him in silence, rocking him slowly as his tears soaked his chest. A tiny lapse let him pull away, blinking lashes heavy with tears, before he collapsed again, his howls of joy racking through the room.

Barry's friends watched onward, eyes becoming glossy at the sight. None more so than Wally though who's attempts at blowing his nose were anything but quiet.

It felt like hours before Barry regained the strength to break away from the hug. He felt like if he let go then his father would disappear, and he'd wake up in his apartment. He feared that this was the same dream he'd been having since childhood...but it wasn't. It was too real.

In the midst of his happiness, Barry barely noticed Superman coming over to shake his fathers hand, nor Wonder Woman who gave him a firm pat on the back. He didn't even know that Wally had arrived until Henry was tackled into another hug.

"Thank you..." Henry said, choking back his own tears.

"We're just sorry it took so long." Superman replied sympathetically. Wonder Woman nodded in agreement.

Barry wanted to barrage them both with hugs...but he couldn't. It would seem too familiar. He would make it up to them one day, but for now he had to pretend like they were strangers.

"I can't thank you enough..." He managed to say without blurting out their names.

"Do not thank us." Wonder Woman replied. "Thank your friend."

Barry looked to Wally who simply shook his head. "Not me, man."

Barry's brow furrowed in bewilderment, then suddenly, it all snapped into place. Henry stepped closer to his son, then passed him a small wooden figure that Barry instantly recognised as Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise. One of his favourite Star Trek characters.

"You know, a very odd woman visited me recently. She told me to give that to you." Henry said with a knowing smile.

Barry ran a finger over the fine details carved into the wood. He remembered how she'd broken some of his action figures, and how angry he had been. He remembered mentioning that he was saving up for a Kirk figure... and he remembered her response. She thought he could just carve his own out of wood, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"She's waiting to hear the outcome of the trial." Wally said with a smirk. "I was gonna try and catch her before she leaves but I'm a little worn out... I guess that responsibility falls to you."

Barry glanced back to his father with slight fear sparking in his eyes. Henry didn't need him to speak his unease, he already knew how his son was feeling. "Go get her, son. I'm not going anywhere."

\--

The portal in front of Mineko spanned through centuries. She hadn't even entered it yet and already she could see countless eras of war and progress. Doctor Fate kept the swirling time hole open, looking towards her expectedly.

"Keep walking and don't look back. If you try to return you will be stuck between space and time for all eternity." Fate warned.

Mineko gave a curt nod of understanding. "I will not stop until I reach the end."

There was no other exchange between the two of them. Fate was eager for her to leave, and Mineko was aware that it was her duty to return. There was seemingly nothing to discuss. That is, until something prohibited Mineko from entering the portal.

Something was wrapped around her, squeezing her so tightly that she thought all oxygen in her lungs was being forced out. When she dared to glance down she, to her own amazement, saw Barry. He had forced her into an embrace. One that said a million things that words never could.

"I waited for you... but you never showed." He said lowly, taking a moment away from resting his head on her shoulder to meet her gaze. "My dad... th-they've let him out. I can't ever pay you back for what you've given me."

"I merely planted an idea...I did nothing else."

"You did everything." Barry responded sincerely. "This isn't the time for modesty. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Do not worry. I am aware of your gratitude, and I am pleased to hear that your father is free..." Mineko shifted her eyes away from his and back to the portal. Her hands hovered towards his arms and untangled him from her waist. "But if that is all, I really must return. The Guardians of the Realm will be eagerly awaiting my report."

She took a steady step forward, but that was quickly altered into a shaky one when Barry jumped in front of her again. He was blocking her way with determination firing in his stare. "Don't go."

Mineko sighed. "I must. I do not belong here."

Barry grabbed her shoulders in both hands and shook his head. He looked utterly distraught at the idea of her leaving. "That's not true. You do belong here. Maybe you didn't before but now...you've changed. You know things no one from your time ever should. You've met people you were never suppose to meet. You don't belong to that world anymore, you belong to mine- I mean...this one..."

Barry paused and Mineko gave him a quizzical look. Fear of rejection now crawled onto his face, but this was his only chance. He needed to say it.

"...You belong right here...with me."

Mineko's lips parted to let in a shaky gasp but she didn't move, so he thought it was probably okay to touch her face. Her skin was as soft as it looked, tanned and smooth as freckled clay. He laid his trembling thumb on her lips to see if she'd pull away. She didn't. He leaned closer. He wanted to close his eyes, but he didn't trust her not to leave him standing there.

His fears were discarded the moment Mineko rested her palm against his hand, that was still caressing her cheek, and minimised the distance between their lips.

Barry had almost forgotten how it felt to be this close to someone. To feel their heart beating against his chest, to hear their nervous breathing between each kiss... Barry had never been drunk, his metabolism made sure of that, but that's the only way he could describe it. He felt as intoxicated as a teenager at their first house party; dizzy, delirious, and anxious.

When Mineko's lips inched away, Barry wasn't sure what to do. For a moment, his mind was completely blank to the world, and then all he could do was hope that she wouldn't break his heart. That she would agree to stay.

Mineko was rarely selfish. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she put herself in front of her duty. At least not in a situation this dire. She thought, in a brief moment of naivety, that she could afford to be a little careless.

She gave a sorry look towards Doctor Fate who instantly closed the portal. Barry was a little surprised by Fate's willingness to allow her to stay, or at least by his lack of argument.

"You know not with what you meddle." Fate said. "But you will leave eventually. I just hoped it was sooner rather than later, because later leads to a result I hoped would never come to pass."

"Save it, Fate. You won't scare her into leaving."

Fate ignored Barry and kept his attention on Mineko. "Whatever happens from here and onward, I hope you realise that it is completely your doing."

With that, Doctor Fate vanished into thin air. Without another word or argument. Mineko stared at the spot he once was, slight uneasiness pulsing through her. He sounded like he knew what was going to happen, and he probably did. He could see everything. What was yet to be, what had already been, and what could be. She'd be a fool not to take his warning to heart.


	24. Twenty-Four

**_Chapter Twenty-Four: Downtime_**

"You know the...greatest danger facing us is ourselves, an irrational fear...of the unknown. But-- there's...no such thing as the unknown-- only things temporarily hidden...temporarily not understood." Said Captain James Tiberius Kirk from the television screen. He was wearing a rather plain looking yellow shirt with a small symbol on it and was sitting on the bridge of his spaceship.

"This man is very wise." Mineko stated, head cupped in both hands as she watched the images closely. "Is he a philosopher?"

"Well, I guess he could be if he wanted..." Barry answered with uncertainty.

He sat in his living room with both Mineko and his father. Henry had been out of jail for almost a month now, and upon being informed that Mineko hadn't seen any episode of Star Trek, insisted that they watch it.

From Mineko's point of view, it was like she was watching the show with surround sound because the men on either side of her quoted every single line word for word. Even with the strange, sporadic rhythm that this 'Captain Kirk' possessed. Every now and then they'd even look at each other and laugh... or make strange faces that somehow matched the character's.

It was good to see them bonding, but it was a very strange way of doing so. Not that Mineko had any right to dictate what was considered odd and what wasn't.

The show flashed into its next scene. One of Captain Kirk in the midst of a fight but he was literally just throwing his body in every direction known to man. Sometimes he mixed it up tried to squeeze the other person into submission.

Mineko scoffed. "I take back my previous statement. This man is a fool."

"What?" Barry asked in the middle of another full blown laugh at the fight.

"He makes a mockery of the battlefield." Mineko squinted.

"But he's not on a battlefield, Mini." Barry shook his head, smile still permanently stuck on his face. "It's not meant to be realistic. It's like... a performance."

"Ah, like Geisha when they sing and dance for other peoples entertainment." Mineko nodded her understanding. "I understand."

This time when Kirk tackled his foe Mineko gave a short but sincere snort of amusement. Henry, however, had stopped watching the show entirely. He looked to Mineko, then Barry with slight puzzlement.

"You act as if she's never seen a show before." Henry said, but it was more of a question than a statement.

"O-Oh...yeah. Well, she's from a really small farming village in Japan. They're pretty cut off from everyone else. I mean, they're practically stuck in the 15th century."

"Really?" Henry gave Mineko a final glance before nodding. "That...definitely explains a lot."

Suddenly, Barry's laptop emitted a soft alert tone, urging him to stand up and walk over to where it was propped up on the table. Upon flipping it open, he realised that it was an encoded communique from the Martian Manhunter on the Watchtower. J'onn was informing him of a serious flooding imminent in a heavily populated city in Japan.

Trying his hardest to feign some kind of reason to leave, Barry shut his laptop then pulled out his phone. He glanced at the thing for one second before announcing "Crap. Sorry guys...I just got called in. The lab's short staffed today." Barry lied.

Henry glanced up at his son firstly with sadness in his eyes, then with skepticism. Barry immediately bolted for the door without giving his father enough time to react. Whilst Mineko had gathered that Barry had been called into action as The Flash, Henry was quite frankly confused.

The man stood up and peered over at the table...seeing that the same phone Barry had apparently received a text on was sitting there on it. Henry didn't see Barry's finger move to actually open the text; it should still be there on the lock screen.

Henry flipped the cellphone over, and saw nothing on its screen but the time. He thinned his lips. It seemed that his son was hiding something from him, but Henry was the kind of person who would give Barry a chance to explain himself. For the time being, he'd try to keep himself focused on Barry's guest.

Henry looked to Mineko as she continued watching Star Trek. He asked her "Hey, you wanna play a game?"

Mineko's dark eyes glanced over, and they scrunched up in confusion. "A game? Like hide and seek?"

Henry scoffed "What? No, not like hide and seek. Did you have video games where you came from?" The man strode over to the TV and pulled open the drawers beneath it.

"Barry has told me about them, but I've never partaken in one before."

Henry smiled to himself as he spotted what he was looking for in Barry's drawer. "Little champ. He kept it." He pulled out a rectangular object which was black and panel lined for the most part but had a horizontal stripe of wood panel finish across the front. In the other hand he firmly grasped two box shaped devices with sticks protruding from their centres. Henry recognised it as the Atari 2600 console from his childhood. "If you haven't played a video game before, it's best that we take it from the top."

\--

The rain had stopped, but the clouds kept the night dark. The city had gorged itself on the floods, and it's skin had swelled and burst in many different places. The makeshift tables and stalls of street markets littered the landscape, torn and broken. Garbage had spread all over the roads: dried fish, stationary, trinkets, wilted green vegetables, plastic plates, wood carvings, underwear. Without the usual press of people, the ill-lit streets sounded hollow, amplifying the smallest of sounds.

Barry had, thankfully, managed to move every single person to a safer distance. They watched from afar as their homes were washed away, and the memories they made there completely eradicated.

The Flash scanned the sea of people who were all muttering and crying in a language foreign to him. Usually he'd bolt to the nearest library and attempt to learn a few words, but living with a Japanese samurai had its perks. Mineko had attempted to teach him a few words, though he had never really narrowed them down correctly.

He opened his mouth, attempting to ask the crowd if they were alright, but they merely gave him confused stares. As if he had said something equally as familiar and unrecognisable. He exhaled sharply. He should have realised sooner that the language Mineko spoke was ancient. Just as English had changed over the years, Japanese must have as well.

"Well...shit." He mumbled, preparing himself to leave and find a translation dictionary of some kind.

Just then an old man shuffled forward. In appearance he was nothing special. He was short and his deep wrinkles seemed to carve a map of his life on his still agile and mobile facial features. His twinkling eyes were framed by thick white eyebrows and on his stubbled chin were white whiskers.

"Thank you for saving us." He said in his worn voice, thick accent reminding him vividly of Mineko's. The Flash sighed, perhaps he should try

English first before assuming anything next time. "But what do we do now? The tide has fallen but many of us have no homes to return to."

The Flash took another look at the swarm of now homeless people and offered them a reassuring smile. "Leave that to me."

It took mere seconds for Barry to race to five different western book stores, and read everything they had on construction. Then, it took another minute for him to rebuild the houses that had been destroyed from the flood. Of course, to Barry it felt much longer...like months of endless working, but he somehow managed to get through it.

When he returned to the people they had barely moved an inch. They stared up at him, then down to their city that was now no worse for ware. The old man had a look of unyielding gratitude in his eyes, but it was mixed with some healthy skepticism.

"You did all this yourself?" He asked in slight disbelief.

Barry nodded with an award winning grin. "Sure did. You're free to return to your homes whenever you like."

"But...is it safe? It won't fall on top of us, will it?"

"Don't worry, it definitely won't fall down this time. I won't make that mistake again." The Flash answered truthfully, slightly unaware of how uneasy this made the crowd.

"Again?" The old man gulped.

The Flash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, feeling the fabric of his mask shift beneath his fingers.

"Ahh...on second thought..." He handed the man two Japanese business cards that he had, presumably, been carrying around with him for a while. "That's the number of a construction company and a plumber. They promised me a favour, so if anything's wrong just contact them...not that it's definitely gonna happen. I mean, I checked everything before I finished it...but I have been known to miss things."

The old man stepped towards him, shook his hand then bowed lowly. "Thank you for all of your effort. You've done more than you needed to."

The Flash returned the gesture, a little awkwardly, but attempting to show the same amount of respect. "Don't mention it. It's in the job description."

With that, The Flash vanished from sight. By the time the group of people realised that he was gone, Barry had already changed out of his costume and started ascending the stairs to his apartment.

Upon entering the sanctity of his home, his ears were bombarded with an array of beeping noises. He raised his eyebrow at the sound and sauntered towards the living room, where it was emanating from. There he was faced with a dark screen with nothing but two sticks and a ball to occupy the space.

"Welcome back, son. That didn't take very long." Henry said, not tearing his eyes away from the screen.

"Umm...Turns out they didn't need me after all."

"How'd they tell you that? On the phone?" Henry asked skeptically.

Before Barry could even attempt to answer, Mineko had flashed him a look and directed her gaze to the phone left on the table. Barry's breath hitched. Then he gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, nah, they told me when I got there. Turns out I forgot my phone...again."

Henry's brow furrowed at his answer, and so Barry decided to change the subject entirely. "Why are you guys playing Pong?"

"Apparently Mineko here has never played a video game before. Thought I'd ease her into it." In that moment Mineko scored another point, ending the game with a perfect score. Henry sighed as if he had already been expecting this. "She's a determined young lady. We've been playing the entire time you were out. I remember when you were little you couldn't play it for longer than five minutes without getting bored."

"And can anyone blame me? There's nothing much to this game."

"She seems to enjoy it." Henry directed towards Mineko who was carefully analysing the controller in her hands. "In fact, she's a natural. I haven't been able to defeat her."

"Really?" Barry asked, relieved that his father had accepted the change of topic so easily.

"This game is based on basic physics. I only keep playing to give your father a chance to redeem himself."

Henry chuckled and shook his head. "A good sport, she is. I haven't gotten a single score yet."

"Maybe I should give it a go."

Mineko flashed him a playful look. "Against me? Please. Your chances of success are minimal."

"Bring it on."

No one could have suspected that once the two started playing it would take almost an hour for either one of them to score. Barry's fast reflexes (even outside of the Speed Force) and Mineko's perceptive skills were too evenly matched for it to end quickly.

"Okay, I can't watch this any longer." Henry chuckled. "I'm going to bed."

"Alright, goodnight dad-" The sound of victory pierced his ears from the television. He glanced over to see that, while he was distracted, Mineko had scored a point. "Hey, that's not fair!"

"You let your guard down." Mineko shrugged. "Sometimes life isn't fair, Barry."

"Real ray of sunshine you are..." Barry teased, a smirk playing at his lips.

Mineko returned the teasing expression. "Do not blame me for your lack perception."

There was a moment of silence that lingered between them after that. Each glancing at each other, playful attitudes expired, and uncertain of what to say. They hadn't spoken about the kiss. Their days, instead, had been preoccupied with helping Henry readjust to normal every day life. That left very little room to actually sort out their feelings.

Mineko stood, placing the controller down and averting her gaze. "I...should retire for the night."

Barry wanted to say something, to ask her to stay with him a little longer, but the words wouldn't come out. He simply sighed as she vanished into her room. He turned off the television and sauntered towards his own room (which he was sharing with his father), but Henry wouldn't let him in.

His father blocked the doorway, eyebrow raised and fingers tapping against it. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Umm...Is this a trick question?" Barry replied. "I'm going to bed."

Henry shook his head, but instead of stating the obvious he simply directed towards Mineko's room. "She's a sweet kid. A little strange, but no one ever said that our family was entirely average either."

Barry blinked cluelessly at his father. "Uh, yeah...I suppose. What's this about?"

Henry sighed and patted his son on the shoulder. "You've spent enough time taking care of me. Maybe you should spend a little time with her now."

Barry's stare fell to the floor in deep conflict. "But I-"

"It's alright, son. I'll still be here if things go bad...and if you're anything like me they will. Your mother had to be the most patient woman in the world to deal with me."

A bittersweet smile stretched across Barry's face. The memory of his mother still brought him slight sorrow, but it had been long enough for him to find joy in hearing about her kindness.

"Alright..." Barry nodded his understanding. "Thanks, Dad."

With that, he shuffled back towards Mineko's door. It was somehow much cleaner than any other wall of the house, with even the door knob shined to perfection. Barry curled his fist, preparing to knock, but the door swung open before he could.

"Barry?" Mineko's voice wavered curiously. "Is something amiss?"

"N-No, nothing...I, mean-" Barry cursed his own lack of competence. It had been so long since he'd been in a relationship, he'd cut himself off from ever having one again, so he'd almost forgotten all the intricacies of one. "Can I come in?"

Mineko's head cocked to the side in slight bewilderment, but she still shifted aside to allow him passage. Barry entered, barely even recognising this area of his apartment. It was so spotlessly clean...and smelled of herbs that had been crushed in a bowl for the sole purpose of creating a fragrance.

"Was there something you needed?" Mineko asked.

"Not really...I just came to talk." Barry managed to say without stuttering.

"About what?"

"I don't know, anything. We could talk about my low blood sugar?...No, that's stupid." Barry exhaled heavily, scouring his brain for an excuse to stay. "Umm...Your favourite colour?"

The man immediately realised how childish this question was and regretted ever saying it. This was all he could think of though. He just wanted to know more about her, even the stupid and unimportant things.

To his surprise, Mineko didn't tease his choose of enquiry and simply answered "Green."

This grabbed Barry's attention more than it should have. "Green? Really?...So I suppose you really like Green Lantern's costume then?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Oh, we have a bet going. I told him that his costume was lame, then he said mine was lamer, and now we keep a tally on whose costume people prefer...Damn it. If I give him another point he'll be winning..."

"Well, you will not need to. His costume's a little too...outlandish for me."

Barry breathed a sigh of relief, then grinned. "Well, it is an alien uniform after all."

"I much prefer Green Arrow's equipment. That is the best I have seen so far."

"Are you serious? But it's so...boring."

"It is simple, practical, and green. The perfect combination."

"Whatever you say." Barry responded in obvious disagreement.

That's when Mineko finally stepped closer to the man, searching for any sign of discomfort in his eyes. "Was there another reason you came here, Barry? Surely it wasn't just to discuss costumes."

Barry inhaled sharply, gathering every ounce of courage he could muster. "You're right. I came here to talk about us."

"I wasn't aware that there was anything that needed discussing." Mineko's brow furrowed and Barry shot her a confused look.

"Are you kidding? We haven't spoken about what happened. You traded the entire life you built back in your time just because I asked you to...I should have talked about this earlier but I've just been so preoccupied with everything else."

"You've been caring for your father, that is an admirable use of your time." Mineko's hands found his then entwined with his fingers. "I am not the type that needs to be fawned over every minute of the day. When you asked me to stay you revealed your true feelings, that is enough."

"No it's not. Everyone deserves to be reminded of how important they are...and by starting this relationship I promised you as much attention as I could give. I haven't been keeping that promise."

"You promised no such thing." Mineko flashed him a reassuring smile and moved her hand to his hair. It had been growing out and he quite severely needed a haircut. "You're busy, with your father and both your jobs. Both in and out of costume. I will take whatever time you can spare, but I understand why you can't always be here. I'm aware of your feelings, even if you disappeared for years on end I would never forget them. I don't need to be reminded, and you don't need to worry about me."

Those certainly weren't the words Barry was expecting to hear. Even Iris had trouble dealing with his constant lack of presence. He had never known someone to understand him so whole-heartedly. Maybe it was because she was part of the same world as he was - fighting against crime with a number of powerful beings. Or maybe it was because of the era she was from. Either way, he was filled with gratitude and affection at her words. She knew that he was trying, and that was all that seemed to matter.


End file.
